Red Siren
by Princess Animeiija
Summary: AU. Katara is starting her first year at Huǒyàn High School of the fire nation, one of the top magnet schools of the world, and highschool is, well, highschool. But a lot of the students around Caldera are vanishing and turning up dead later. But why?
1. It's Your First Day

Author's Note: This is a High School AU, as you can obviously tell...I hope. Anyway, here's the first chapter and I'll edit in a few because I'm being pullded away.

* * *

"I don't think I can do this…"

"Not this again," An elderly woman sighed as she eyed the cars along the road on which she drove. "You'll be fine, Katara. You've dreamed about going to this school ever since you were a little girl. You're just nervous," she smiled as she made a turn into the driveway of their new home.

"But Gran-gran," Katara continued as she twisted one of her curls ruthlessly around her fingers, "What if I can't keep up with the other students? What if nobody likes, or even wants me? What if-"

"Geez Katara, enough already," Sokka exclaimed, twisting in his front passenger seat to glare at her half heartedly. "There isn't a person alive that can hate you. Besides, if you couldn't keep up then you wouldn't have been accepted." Sokka crossed his arms, ending his statement by stuffing his mouth with the last of their fire flakes.

"But what if-"

"You'll be fine," both sets of voices interrupted her.

"Hurry and help you're brother unload the car while I talk to the movers. Once the car's unpacked then we'll go pick up you're uniforms." Gran-gran smiled, placing the car in park and pulling the keys out of the ignition. She then reached behind her to give Katara's hand a pat, loosening the finger's vicious twist of Katara's hair as she did so.

"Alright," Katara nodded, before grabbing the box next to her and following her brother's retreating form to the door. Katara waited patiently as Sokka fiddled with their new house keys, her eyes scanning her surroundings nervously.

There was nothing overly interesting about the neighborhood in which they would now be residing. The houses weren't the nicest, but considering the fact that they were in a lower income neighborhood, or 'two steps from the ghetto' as her brother put it teasingly, the houses were okay. The sidewalks were cracked and had the occasional gap, but it was better than having no sidewalk like where she used to live. The roads were uneven and in need of repaving, but the roads traveled through the entire neighborhood. The overall colors of Katara's surroundings were murky shades of whites, grays, and beiges, and she was sure that at night it would be a scary place to be, but it was better than where she used to live when she was in the South Pole.

A sleek red convertible zoomed passed her new home before pulling into the driveway two houses down to her left. It was the only house with a garage, which was probably for the best when one considered that that car was worth more than any of the houses. Two people stumbled out of the vehicle before coming together in a passionate embrace. Their lips and hands were all over each other as they tripped and fumbled their way to the door. Once the door was open, the woman went inside and the man looked over in Katara's direction.

Katara blushed as she met his gaze, noting with some curiosity a marking on his face around his left eye. From this distance she couldn't tell what the marking was, but she made the assumption that it was a scar of some sort. But even from this far away, and even with the marking on his face, he was beautiful.

The young man continued to look at her, and she at him. The man turned to the door, than back to her, as if trying to decide something. He looked at Katara again before turning from her completely and entering the house.

"See something?" Sokka inquired. He had opened the door several moments ago and was now watching his sister and the man stare at each with some trepidation. He shot the man's retreating form a threatening look before ushering his baby sister inside.

Katara made her way into the house mechanically, her eyes scanning the empty interior before finding the hall that would lead her to the bedrooms. Of the three rooms present, two were joined by a bathroom and the master bedroom was the farthest down the hall. Katara shrugged before entering the nearest room.

The room was too small for her liking and she knew that her bed would monopolize on the space available. Katara shot the window a hesitant glance. Anyone could walk up to it and look in, especially since she usually kept her blinds open. This room wouldn't do at all.

Katara toed the door to the bathroom open and crossed into the other room. At one glance, Katara knew that this was her choice. The room was considerably bigger and the window looked out to their small backyard. The only drawback was that the room's closet could barely be considered that. It was so small that Katara was grateful for how few clothes she had.

"I've found my room," Katara called as she deposited her box into one of the room's corners. She then made her way back out into what would later be their living room/dining room combo. Sokka and one of the two movers were already struggling to get the couch in through the door.

"Which room did you leave me with?" Sokka grunted as he and the mover finally managed to wedge the couch through the doorway. The two were slowly working their way past the open kitchen, careful of the counter that separated it from the living room/dining room.

"The small one, what else," Katara grinned before exiting the house to get the luggage from the car. She peeked over her shoulder, noting that the house's door was wide open. Surely that man wasn't in such a hurry that he'd leave his door open. Katara didn't even want to think about the car being left out of the garage with the top still down.

Katara fought down the urge to go over and close both as she yanked the large purple suitcase from the trunk. It wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she pulled. Katara stopped to glare at the luggage while cursing her brother for wedging it so tightly in there.

"I told him not to pack everything so tightly…" Katara muttered to herself before looking around. There was the man again, standing in his driveway and looking to be having a heated argument on the phone. His shirt had been discarded and the fly of his pants was open. Katara blushed when she realized the direction in which her eyes were traveling before she looked away and returned to her task of yanking out her luggage with a vengeance.

Bracing her foot against the back bumper of the car, Katara grasped the handle of the bag with both hands and pulled. The leather handle snapped from exertion and Katara would have been sent flying onto the ground if it weren't for something solid catching her; something solid and deliciously warm. Katara squeaked when a powerful arm snaked around her waist and lifted her off the ground.

Katara looked over her shoulder to discover that it had been the man she had been staring at. As it had turned out, he was maybe a few years older than her. He must have made his way over while she was trying to get her bag.

Katara found her feet placed back onto the ground next to him before he took over her task without so much as a word. She watched as he grasped the sides of the suitcase, leaning forward to gain a better purchase of the edges before pulling. His muscles strained from the effort, but he managed to shimmy the bag out with little difficulty.

"Thank you," Katara said, grateful for the help, and secretly the eye candy that the help offered.

"No problem," he replied nonchalantly, working the rest of the items from the trunk as he did so.

"Zuko," a voice called, drawing the attention of both teens to the young man's house. The woman he had been…with, leaned against the door jam of the house he came from. Her long black hair hung loose around her aristocratic features and a man's robe hung loosely from her shoulders. The black fabric hid most of her body from view, but at the same time revealed that there wasn't much underneath.

Heat flared from this 'Zuko's body, making Katara wonder if he was a firebender, before he left Katara to continue with her work on her own.

"Thank you," Katara called again, only to have him wave her off in a flippant fashion. Katara knew to be miffed by his reaction, but kept quiet. She then grasped the bag that gave her so much trouble before lifting it into her arms with some trouble and finally carrying it into the house.

A few minutes, and as many trips later, Katara found herself seated in the front seat of her Gran-gran's beat up old Chevy. She was waiting for her Gran-gran to finish giving Sokka instructions for the placement of the furniture so that they may go and pick up her new school uniform. That was the only drawback Katara saw to the whole ordeal with her new school. Where as she didn't have many clothes, the school uniforms were a bit on the pricey side and could only be bought at a few places.

"Sorry for the wait, Katara. I had to talk your brother out of the master bedroom," Gran-gran beamed.

Katara laughed at this, knowing her brother would probably still try to win Gran-gran over until long after the move was complete. "He wouldn't be Sokka if he didn't at least try."

"Isn't that the truth," Gran-gran agreed before fastening her seatbelt and starting the car.

* * *

It would be several hours later before both Katara and her Gran-gran could get home. As it turned out, Katara had to have her skirts tailored. The skirts for her waist size were almost obscenely short because of her derrière, the fabric of the skirt lifting high enough in the back so that if she walked the skirt would expose her. Katara would have gotten a larger size, but the waist was too big. Fortunately, the tailor that sold the uniforms was a kindly old woman and had altered the larger skirts to fit Katara's waist size at no extra cost. Why she did this was anyone's guess, since the sign over the counter listed the prices for any alterations of any kind. But Katara was grateful for it since the uniforms were expensive enough as is.

The short black and red skirt pleated at the front in an adorable fashion, the length reaching Katara's mid thighs as was required by the school. A matching sleeveless blazer went over a white short sleeved button up served as the top, the schools emblem placed over the right breast pocket. A red neck tie was tucked into the blazer, matching the skirt and finishing the look for her uniform.

Overall, Katara thought she looked cute, if only the skirt were a bit longer. She just hoped other's thought the same since she didn't want to be picked on for whatever reason. Katara combed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to tame her curls into a presentable hair style. She took a portion of her hair and bunned it tightly since she didn't' have a hair tie. She left the rest loose and decided that the look worked.

"You look beautiful, Katara," Gran-gran smiled, wishing to put her granddaughter at ease.

"Thank you, Gran-gran." Katara looked at herself in the full length mirror again, watching as the tailor made some last minute alterations to the skirt. _I don't know about beautiful, but at least I don't look ugly_, Katara thought with a sigh. _I wish the butterflies would go away_. Katara placed a hand on her stomach before looking at her reflection one last time.

Katara made her way back to the dressing room before changing back into her faded and warn jeans and short sleeveless tee. Katara grimaced at the tightness of her shirt as she pulled at its collar. She didn't stop until she heard the sound of ripping thread. _Much better,_ Katara smiled.

Finally, Katara rejoined her Gran, whom was finalizing her purchases. They could only afford three uniforms for now, and would have to come back for more when they could pay for it. Not that Katara minded, she had begged for a chance to go to this school even if it meant re-wearing her clothes over the week and doing laundry every weekend.

"You two have a wonderful day," the elderly seamstress smiled as she waved the two out of her shop.

"Let's pick up some dinner on the way home since it's getting to late to cook dinner," Kana offered while Katara placed her bags into the back seat.

"That sounds like a plan to me. Besides, I've been craving beef the entire ride here," Katara admitted, even as a different kind of beef came unbidden into her mind.

* * *

Katara stared at the imposing iron gates that stood before her, open in invitation. This was it, the day was finally here. It was the first day of the school year, and her first year of high school.

_I think I'm going to be sick_, Katara thought with a gulp. The butterflies had only increased during the weekend, each passing hour filling her with a nervous dread. She couldn't do this, she wasn't ready. _I'll start tomorrow,_ Katara decided, but before she could turn a white furry…something decided to land on her shoulder.

Big emerald eyes stared into her icy blue ones.

Katara shrieked as her hand came up to swat the creature away.

"Momo," A young girl's voice called. "Leave her alone."

The owner of the voice, and most likely the animal, was a young girl, much too young looking to be at a high school. But one look at the girl's uniform assured Katara that the girl was indeed a student. Her pale, almost gray green eyes stared sightlessly ahead of her and her black hair was held back by a golden-yellow headband and pulled into a large coil around her head. (How do you do her hair anyway?)

"I said leave her alone, Momo," the girl commanded again with her hands on her hips. She was obviously not in the mood for his antics this early in the morning.

The lemur in question, for that's what it was, finally flew away from Katara and returned to the girl. It settled itself onto her shoulder and chattered away.

"That's better," the girl smiled before flicking a nut in the animal's direction. Momo caught it happily before shoving it into his mouth. "Sorry about that, Momo can be a nosey pain in the butt."

"That's alright, he just startled me," Katara admitted, eyeing the girl curiously. _Is she blind?_ Katara thought she was, but the girl walked perfectly fine without aid of any kind.

"You gonna stare, or are we gonna go in?" The girl turned her head to spit into the road, much to Katara's chagrin, before grabbing Katara's hand and pulling her through the gates. "Don't want to be late on our first day, do you?"

Katara shook her head in the negative as she allowed herself to be dragged onto the courtyard. She noted that there were quite a few students milling about in either their uniforms or their gym clothes. Another turn and the two girls were in the ladies' locker room. There were many other female students in there as well, changing out of their uniforms or putting their stuff away into their lockers.

"Hurry up and change," the young girl ordered haughtily, finding it weird that Katara would rather look around into space. She placed her bags onto the bench nearest them and unzipped her duffel bag. Slowly, she began to fumble with her uniform's buttons while Momo pulled a pair of sweatpants and a tank top from the bag's confines.

This snapped Katara out of her reverie before she did the same, her movements much quicker then those of her counterpart's. She then pulled out a small form fitting tank top and black yoga pants; the waist of the pants matched the blue of her tank top. Katara dressed quickly, keeping her eyes on her companion whom seem to struggle with her clothing.

"Do you need a hand?" Katara found herself asking, noticing that the tag in the tank top wasn't there to guide her.

"Why, because I'm blind," the girl snapped, her frustration making itself known. She didn't mean to be mean, but she had a feeling that the tags were removed out of spite towards her.

"No, I just figured you'd need help since the tags were removed," Katara offered in her defense. The two waited in silence for a few moments, before the girl handed over her yellow tank top. "My name's Katara," Katara informed as she twisted the shirt before pulling it over the girl's head.

"Toph," she answered, smoothing the shirt down before pulling on her pants. She then held her hand out towards Katara, whom shook it happily.

"Nice to meet you," Katara beamed before the two hurried back out onto the courtyard.

Katara scanned over the present student body, eyes searching for any sign as to where she was supposed to go. It came in the form of a dark skinned elderly man, his white shoulder length hair draping over his shoulders. His eyes were set into a leer as he pulled a megaphone up to his lips.

"Everyone shut up." Silence followed his words as all eyes focused on him. "All first year firebenders follow professor Chan to the far side of the courtyard."

The professor in question raised a foghorn into the air and let the loud noise pierce through the air. This allowed for the young firebenders to locate and follow him away from the other students. They made up a little less then half of the student body present.

"All non-firebenders go to the fenced off area to my left and await further instruction." The man then handed the megaphone off to another of the professors before following the handful of twenty or so students into the fenced off area.

Katara and Toph stayed close together as both made their way away from the other students. Momo circled overhead, his eyes searching for everything and nothing at the same time since his mistress didn't need him for the moment.

"Now to further divide you; Waterbenders, you stay here with me. Airbenders continue to the end of the courtyard and earthenders, go to the pavement free zone closer to the gates."

Katara watched as Toph and roughly half of the remaining students make their way to the back of the courtyard. Momo circled above her for a few more seconds before following after his mistress. Katara then looked to see that her group had the smallest amount of students, all four of which were girls. There were only seven airbenders, five boys, one of which was a young boy that bore the symbol of the air nomads. Katara thought that odd, but didn't lend it much thought as she turned her attention to her new sifu.

"All right, seeing as all of you are first years, I'm going to assume that you know nothing about manipulating your element." The man smirked with an air of contempt. The students bristled at the comment, but none came forward with any complaints. _Not yet anyway, _he thought. "I am Pakku. I will be teaching you the art of waterbending, but whether or not any of you will prove to be competent in my lessons will be entirely up to you."

Pakku scanned the young, exotic women that stood before him. His sharp eye was already picking out the weakest and strongest benders of the bunch, but none of them stood out to him. He hoped that once water was presented to them his immediate assumptions about them would be proven wrong, _but that's like wishing for a volcano to freeze over._

"You there," Pakku pointed, singling Katara out with a gesture of his finger. "Go to the tool shed and get me the large jar of water. It's by the locker room."

"Yes, sifu," Katara stammered before jogging out of the enclosed area. She kept close to the wall as she slowly made her way to where she remembered the locker room to be. Once she was out of Pakku's sights, she slowed to observe the training excersises being performed by the firebending upper classmen. Their movements were beautiful and precise as they executed each drill with a practiced ease.

The next thing Katara knew was that she had crashed into something and was now flat on her ass.

"Watch where you're going," a masculine voice growled from ahead of her.

"I'm sorry, I was," Katara scrambled to her feet as her lips stumbled through her instinctual apology.

"Not paying attention," the voice interrupted.

Katara's gaze snapped up to meet the owner of the voice, only to discover it was the guy that had helped her get her luggage. 'Zuko' if her memory recalled. "Hey, you're that guy from a few days ago," Katara gasped.

"What of it?" Zuko questioned, his eyes softening slightly where his voice did not.

"No need to be rude! I said sorry," Katara snapped.

"Whatever, just be more careful. There's a reason the fence is up," Zuko growled.

"Why, to keep mean people like you away," Katara hissed.

"No, to keep little children from getting hurt," Zuko retorted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I was trying to get a drink of water." Zuko ended the conversation with that, leaning back over to gulp down some more water.

Katara stomped her foot before continuing on her way in a huff. She found the shed not to long after. She gave the doors a violent shove before entering the dimly lit shed. It was quite large. Large enough to house quite a few people, Katara thought as she struggled to locate the jar Pakku was talking about. Following the familiar and soothing call of her element, Katara pinpointed its location, only to groan with disdain. The jar was huge.

Katara cursed her luck as she made her way over to it. It barely reached her hip and was twice as wide as she was. _This is a test, isn't it,_ Katara thought viciously, though what Pakku was testing was beyond her. Katara squared her shoulders as determination set in before she squat down and wrapped her arms around the jar. It was heavy, but she managed to lift it. Katara thanked her luck that the thing was only half full, her feet slowly retracing her steps.

Slowly, Katara made her way from the shed back to her section of the courtyard.

"Watch out!" A voice called to her, the blazing heat of a nearing flame warming her skin.

Without thinking, Katara dropped the jar she held. She bent the water out and formed a shield of ice just in time to block the stray fireball. The force of the blow slammed the shield of ice into Katara's form, knocking her off balance and sending her sprawling onto her back. The ice shield shattered as it came into contact with the ground, the heat of the flame weakening it to the strength of fragile glass. Katara was unscathed, but she was in a small daze.

_What just happened?_ Katara thought finally as she became aware of her surroundings.

"Are you alright?"

"Zuko," Katara looked to her side, surprised to see his hovering over hers.

Zuko pulled her up into a seated position, his eyes searching for burns or any other injury. Seeing none, Zuko lifted Katara onto her feet and grabbed the now empty jar before dragging both back to her portion of the courtyard. "I told you that the fence was there for a reason," he hissed before giving her an almost rough shove through the gate of the fence. The jar was then placed behind her before the gate was closed with a final slam.

"It wouldn't be dangerous if you were taught how to aim!" Katara found herself shouting after him. She growled at his retreating form before turning to her classmates. The sight that greeted her was the overly excited and concerned faces of her non-firebending classmates and their masters.

"Are you alright Katara," Toph inquired, her hands coming up to Katara's face and neck. Her brows were furrowed as she blindly searched for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine, just a little shaken," Katara smiled as she grabbed Toph's hands. She gave them a reassured squeeze before turning her attention to the approaching footsteps behind her.

"Are you alright, miss?" Katara turned to see the firebending instructor standing at the gate.

"She's alright Jeong-Jeong, though I suggest having your student visit the younger students to go through the basics again," Pakku answered in her stead. Jeong-Jeong took no offense to the statement, knowing how close they cut it to a tragic accident.

"That's not the only thing I'll do," Jeong-Jeong promised. "I'm glad to see you are unhurt, miss. Though I must say, you have amazing reflexes."

Katara blushed at the compliment, pride swelling beneath her breast at her accomplishment.

"Quite amazing indeed," Pakku agreed before shooing the students back to their places.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"What do you mean? It was an accident," a young firebending girl cooed, batting her eyelashes in a rather fetching manner.

"Accident my ass," Zuko exclaimed. Zuko was beyond livid over what had happened. He, like everyone else, knew that the 'stray fireball' was no accident. There were no accidents when Ty La was concerned. "You deliberately tried to hurt her, why?" Zuko demanded, his eyes daring her to lie.

"Because it looked like fun," she said finally, flicking her long black braid over her shoulder as a maniacal smile spread over her face.

"You bitch," Zuko barked as he made a move to attack her with a fireball of his own.

"Zu-zu, calm down," another female's voice commanded as the owner of said voice placed her hand over his shoulder.

Zuko's eyes followed the hand to the eyes of his younger sister, her amber eyes barely concealing her concern. Seeing this, he took several calming breaths. He knew her concern lay not with him hurting the sister of one of her best friends, no. It lay with the fact that if he did something, he'd get in trouble. Azula hated it when he got into trouble, because then she wouldn't have a ride to her friend's sleepover. At least, that's what she told people.

"Sorry La," Zuko pulled Azula to him and ruffled her hair, letting her know with his eyes that he would behave until they left campus.

Azula swatted his hand away before fixing her hair, a rare smile gracing her lips for a nano-second before her expression turned cold and calculating.

Jeong-Jeong approached soon after, his eyes set in a stony glare.

Zuko and Azula smirked. Maybe Zuko wouldn't have to do anything after all.

"Ty La, a word. The rest of you, continue you're drills." Once the coast was clear, Jeong-Jeong turned to his violent pupil.

"What can I do for you, Sifu Jeong-Jeong?" Ty La inquired innocently.

"Have you any remorse for what you could have done?" he found himself asking, unnerved by Ty La's happy expression.

"It was an accident."

"An almost fatal 'accident,' you could have seriously hurt that girl. Report to the first years, it is obvious that you are not ready to progress in your training yet," Jeong-Jeong decided, pointing towards the bumbling freshmen that were on the far side of the court.

"What!" Ty La couldn't believe this. The girl was just a lowly waterbender, they weren't worth anything. "You're punishing me for that floozie?"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, I am your sifu and your superior. What you have done is inexcusable, but since you claim it was an accident I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. You should consider yourself lucky that demoting you is all I'm doing, so don't make me change my mind," Jeong-Jeong bellowed.

Ty La just stood there in shock before her expression morphed to an expression of pure and absolute rage as her eyes found Katara's waterbending form. _This is her fault_ was all she could think before she skulked in the direction of the first years.

* * *

Time seemed to fly since the incident and Katara found herself pouting at the sounding of the bell. She was really getting into her bending and was thoroughly enjoying herself, even if she had some trouble with a couple of the moves. Looking around herself, Katara felt a strong sense of satisfaction take over.

"Katara, may I have a word after you change," Pakku requested, his face giving little hint as to why he called out to her.

Katara cocked her head to the side in thought, wondering if he wanted to talk about the earlier incident. She took two steps backwards before turning completely. _I wonder what he wants, _Katara thought as she waited for Toph.

_Whoa, what happened there?_ Katara blinked a couple times to make sure she was seeing things correctly. The courtyard behind her was nothing but rubble. It looked like a battle had taken place, with barely conscious students strewn about and struggling to regain their footing.

"Toph," Katara called. Instantly, Katara ran over to the chaos that was the earthbending training grounds in search of her new friend. "Toph!"

"I'm over here," Toph's voice answered, sounding smug.

Katara circled around a protruding rock, only to discover her new friend perched comfortably on a large slab of earth next to an interesting looking old man who was in a fit of hysterics.

"Hey, sweetness," Toph greeted with a wave as Momo flew from her shoulder to circle over Katara's head. He landed with a happy chatter once he was certain that Katara wouldn't swat him away again.

"Are…Are you alright?" Katara knew that the question was unnecessary, but she found herself asking just the same. One could never be too sure when you don't really know someone.

"Never been better," Toph grinned before hopping off the rock and landing next to Katara. The earth rumbled as the small earthbender's feet made contact with the ground. She spat over her shoulders before stretching her arms in front of her, the sound of cracking traveling along her fingers. "That was an awesome warm-up."

"That was the best class I've had in ages," her sifu cackled as other students poked around to investigate, even the firebenders. "Miss Bei Fong, consider yourself promoted to the next stage of earthbending instruction."

"Thank you, Sifu Bumi," Toph smiled brightly.

"Congratulations," Katara said, her smile hiding the small tug of envy at her new friend's accomplishment.

"Thanks." Toph scratched the back of her head, her smile never leaving her face. "Ready to go?"

"After you," Katara responded.

The two were quick to change from their gym clothes and to shower off, the two shoving people out of their way so Katara could get into one of the showers. Toph merely took a rag and wiped herself off, but refused to claim a shower for herself. She didn't stink, so why bother. The two then dressed and separated since Katara needed to go see her sifu for whatever reason.

"Ah, Katara," Pakku greeted once he saw Katara trot towards him in her uniform, "I'm glad you remembered to come."

"What can I do for you Sifu Pakku," Katara inquired.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier. What you did was quite impressive. Have you had any instruction before this?"

"No," Katara blushed.

"Hm, interesting," Pakku muttered. "You have quite the potential Miss Yǔdī."

"Thank you, Sifu Pakku," Katara said with a bow.

"I would like for you to come to me for extra lessons after school," Pakku began, a warmth spreading within his heart at the pure joy that bloomed onto Katara's face. "Meet me here after school, and hopefully we'll soon see how far your potential goes."

"Thank you so much!" Katara could barely contain her excitement as she managed a quick, but grateful bow.

"Now run along to your class, you don't want to be late on your first day," Pakku grinned.

"Thank you so much," Katara bowed again before turning on her heal and running towards the school building as she waved to him over her shoulder. She didn't stop waving until she entered the building, her excitement coaxing her into a few celebratory skips.

"Someone's happy," a smooth male voice spoke as she turned down a hallway.

* * *

Author's Note: What do you think so far? Do you like it? Do you not like it? Let me know if anything needs fixing.


	2. Intro

Author's Note: I hate, hate, HATE this chapter! It's rediculously short and because of my feelings for it I think it's subpar to my usual work. But whatever, this chapter is needed to get all the boring introductions and to set up the story. So I'm going to say it now, SORRY for this really BAD chapter.

Author's note 2: hiya, I still absolutely hate this chapter, but I decided to extend it so that the rest of the fic can continue smoothly. I'm currently working on the next chapter, so i should be updating soon...if my fever will allow. I hate nyquil!

* * *

"Someone's happy."

Katara skidded to a halt, embarrassed for being caught during her childish display. She turned to see a truly handsome young man; maybe a few years older than she, with sun kissed skin and a head of full barely tamed brown hair. A lollipop stick hung loosely from his lips that were pulled into a half grin. His uniform was deliciously tousled, as if they were just thrown on in a rush. But it was his eyes that captivated her, eyes that promised good and wicked fun.

"Um, hi," Katara greeted finally before scanning the hall for anyone else. "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Not really, just felt like chillin' for a bit," he answered with a smirk. His eyes roved over her form before deciding with a nod that he liked what he saw. "Can I help you with anything?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Actually yes, do you know where room 219 is?" Katara asked, pulling out her schedule as she did so. She was sure she'd be late any minute now and really didn't want to tarnish her record on the first day.

"Ah, Madam Macmu-Ling's class," he nodded as he scanned the sheet Katara held to his gaze. "I remember her; I'll show you the way." The young man grabbed Katara's hand before leading her down the hall in a brisk pace. "The name's Jet, by the way."

"Katara, nice to meet you," Katara replied as she was lead down another hall. They came to a door moments later, catching the tail end of the stragglers that raced the bell in order to get to class. "Thank you."

"Any time," Jet winked before walking away, but this time at a more leisurely pace.

Katara watched him for a moment longer before entering the classroom, just as the warning bell rang.

"Katara, over here," a familiar voice called.

"Hey, Toph."

* * *

_Lunch, finally_ Katara thought as she allowed her head to drop onto her desk, _I thought class would never end._ Katara waited patiently for the class to empty out of its students before finally rising from her seat. She scanned her desk to make sure she left nothing behind before she joined with Toph and walked out of the room.

Katara couldn't begin to describe how grateful she was to have Toph in both her English and science classes because deep down she knew she wouldn't have survived the boredom both classes had filled her with. Toph always had a snarky comment to make and they lightened her mood immensely, and so did her new friend, a young airbender named Aang.

As it turned out, both Aang and Toph had skipped a grade and were now attending high school with her as compared to all the other kids their age whom were still in middle school. Not that Katara minded though, they were smart kids and loads of fun to talk too.

Aang was so sweet and loved to show off his amazing airbending skills. Even though he was marked as a nomad, he was nothing like a monk. He was too happy and a bit of a flirt. Why he was going to school though, was a complete mystery. One that Katara wanted to ask about, but figured they didn't' know each other well enough to ask.

Toph was, without a doubt, the most unladylike nobleman's daughter, Katara had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Granted Toph was a bit rough around the edges, she had a quick whit and a wicked sense of humor. Turns out she really was blind and was able to see through earthbending. But she still needed some help, so she had Momo, her seeing-eye lemur; though it seemed that Momo liked Aang a lot, maybe even more than Toph herself, but not by much.

Both Katara and Toph were slowly making their way to lunch, their conversation centering around Professor M. and his missing three fingers and some of his eyebrows. Theories were bounced back and forth between the two about how his.., disfigurement came to be. Katara was still giggling over Toph's near panic when she 'saw' Professor M. remove his fingers. Toph was still embarrassed about having to have the teacher stop class to calm her nerves.

"Maybe it was a bending accident? Like, maybe he got to close to the first year firebenders and they burnt his eyebrows of by accident," Katara offered as they continued on their way.

"Nah, I think he was just being an idiot during one of his so-called experiments. Maybe he created some kind of monster, and while fighting it off, the thing ate his fingers and yanked out some of his eyebrows. It would explain his squished face." Toph added almost seriously.

"And his bald head. I bet this monster is still around, waiting for the chance to finish the job," Katara said with a deep and spooky voice. The two then broke into a hearty laughter at the ludicrousness of it all.

"What monster?"

"Hi Twinkle Toes," Toph smiled as they all made a turn down the hall.

"Hey Toph. Hi Katara. What monster?" Aang placed himself between the two young ladies before allowing his eyes to dart back and forth between the two.

"The one that ate Professor M's fingers," Toph replied expressionlessly.

"Wha-?"

"She's kidding Aang," Katara cooed soothingly once she noticed the genuine fear that was creeping into his eyes.

"Or am I," Toph added with a dark smile.

"Toph!"

Upon entering the cafeteria, the fact that this was no ordinary school was finally nailed home. At the very center of the cafeteria, there was a large ring in which two students, an earthbender and a firebender that shared the same face, sparred under the watchful gaze of café's staff. There were four other rings that were placed by each wall, circling the cafeteria evenly so that there was room for the tables that were all strategically placed so they had a perfect view of at least two of the fights.

The firebender, with her long black braid, laughed maniacally as she sent an arch of wild flames towards her opponent, only to have them blocked by the firebending staff before the flames could reach the captive audience.

"Oh, hey Katara," a familiar voice called. The owner of the voice was one of the other waterbending students. Her honey brown hair was cut into a bob and her uniform was altered to show off more skin, flirting with the indecent. "Sorry about the fireball earlier today, my sister isn't the sanest of the bunch."

"It's okay, accidents happen," Katara replied, waving the statement away with a smile.

"Yeah…" The girl turned away to watch the two young women spar for a moment longer before returning her gaze back to her fellow classmate and waterbender. "I'd have her come and apologize to you, but she's been in a bit of a foul mood since. But hey, that's Ty La for you. I'm Ty Lin by the way," Ty Lin introduced, holding her hand out for a shake.

"Ty Lin?" Katara cocked her head to the side, pondering the coincidence of the name choice while said girl shook hands with both Toph and Aang.

"Yeah, our parents have to follow some tradition or other and name us all Ty something," Ty Lin shrugged.

"You're twins?" Katara inquired.

"Septuplets; The firebender in the ring, that's Ty La, the oldest. The earthbender with the green highlights is Ty Lo. The rest of my sisters are over there. Ty Lee and Ty Lon, the airbender, are the ones doing acrobatics. The one with pigtails is Ty Lei, if you need academic help, be sure to ask her. And the one with her hair loose is Ty Lu, she's a bit of a gossip so don't tell her anything personal." Ty Lin pointed to each of her sisters in turn as she led the three freshmen towards the table.

"Oh…HI AANG," Ty Lon, the airbender, greeted excitedly as she stood on her hands, her even happier twin balanced on one hand braced on her feet.

"Hi Ty Lon," Aang smiled, watching the two with excitement.

"It's Honey," she corrected, bending her knees without dropping her sister before straightening her legs quickly, launching Ty Lee high into the air with her bending. Everyone watched as Ty Lee flipped this way and that, each transition filled with practiced grace. She then landed on with her hands braced against Ty Lon's shoulders, her legs spread on either side in a perfect split. Everyone clapped at the little show and the two sisters were on their feet and bowing to their adoring fans.

"He's cute, is he a friend of yours?" Ty Lee dropped into a seated position on the table and stared at Aang intently.

"Yup, he's the awesome airbender I was telling you about," Ty Lon nodded before she claimed a spot on the table's bench. "He's an air nomad."

"Ooh," Ty Lee cooed. "What's that like?"

"It's okay," Aang shrugged, trying to look cool and nonchalant in the eyes of his adoring fans.

Katara started to look around the cafeteria when the two started to chatter away, her eyes roving over the many faces in hopes of maybe finding one she recognized. _I wonder if Jet's here,_ Katara pondered as she searched with her hope mounting. But who she found was the only other person that she could have expected to find: Zuko. He was walking towards the table she was sharing with her friends and the septuplets. Under his arm was the aristocratic looking woman she had seen him with the other day, at least she hoped that's who she was. Next to them and conversing with the black haired beauty was another girl, maybe a little younger than the first two. Half her hair was pulled up in a stylish ponytail and her red lips were pulled into a dark half smile.

"Mai, Azula, Zuko," Ty Lee called, leaving the conversation completely and cart wheeling over to the newcomers. "What took you so long?"

"My class was extended beyond the bell," the youngest of the trio answered, her eyes carrying an angry glint at the fact.

"Zuko," Katara greeted in a monotone voice.

"Katara," Zuko replied with the same flat tone. He then turned to the girl under his arm and kissed her lips tenderly. "I'll see you after lunch. Don't kill anyone La." With his parting warning to the youngest of his little group he left the girls in favor of joining his own group of friends a little ways away.

Katara watched him go with a scowl, following his movements until her eyes landed on a familiar head of brown. He noticed her just as she did him and so the two smiled and waved at each other in hello.

"What was that about?" Toph 'watched' Katara's reactions and movements curiously, finding it odd that she already had someone she didn't like. She also wanted to know who she was waving at since the room was too crowded to tell.

"What was what about?" Katara cut her wave short in favor of giving Toph her undivided attention.

"You and Zuko," Ty Lee answered in Toph's stead. "It sounded like you two don't like each other."

"We don't. He's rude and everything he's said to me since we've met has been mean…Hang on…I never told him my name," Katara turned to glare at Zuko her mind coming to crazy conclusions about how he could have acquired that knowledge.

"After the incident with Ty La, everyone knows your name," Ty Lin explained, jerking her thumb towards her sister Ty Lu who was texting furiously on her cell. Her tongue peeked out between her teeth as a scary look morphed onto her face.

"Oh…good to know…"

* * *

Katara entered the art room with a happy spring in her step. She'd just come from the library where she spent all of her independent studies, a class where Katara could do whatever she wanted since the other classes had no room for her. Not that Katara was complaining, it gave her time to catch her breath and now she felt recharged and ready for the rest of the day. The parting paragraphs of the scroll she'd been reading ran through her minds eye and she could imagine the characters within the history of 'the Last Airbender,' and how they reacted to the truth of Avatar Aang's identity.

Katara couldn't help but place herself in the shoes of the waterbending master, a girl no older than she was and a girl she was fortunate enough to share a name with. Katara felt giddy with the honor her name bestowed her, so much that she was not paying attention to where she was going. So it was no surprise when she collided with something solid…again. _Why am I so clumsy today, _Katara groaned.

"What is your obsession with crashing into mean," a familiar voice questioned.

"Trust me, it has nothing to do with you," Katara growled, glaring daggers at Zuko even as she accepted his offered hand to help her up onto her feet.

"So you're just clumsy then," Zuko offered, crossing his arms and smirking at the blush that spread onto Katara's cheeks.

"Not usually, but what can I say, you bring out the worst in me," Katara retorted swiftly, not even thinking on her words.

"Wow, one day and I already have that much of an affect on you," Zuko half grinned.

"Go jump in a river," Katara spat, embarrassed by how easily he turned her words against her.

"After you, peasant," Zuko shot back, unsure as to why that particular insult came to mind but running with it just the same in reaction to her statement.

"Why you…" Katara found herself floundering for words before suddenly a thought flashed within her mind. She acted on it without a moment's hesitation, grabbing the tube of purple paint from her easel and squeezing it in Zuko's direction. A long stream of paint sailed through the air and found their mark all over Zuko's face.

He stared at her in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened as the paint dripped down his cheeks and onto his neck, staining the collar of his uniform. Laughter rang in his ears and heat seared his cheeks, but Zuko could do nothing to stop it no matter how much he wished to. The smug smile that tugged at Katara's lips further increasing his ire and all he wanted was for some divine intervention in his behalf. It came in the form of their art instructor, professor Piandao. He silenced the class with only a glance before gesturing for them all to take their seats.

"I see that you've all already started to make friends, how wonderful." Professor Piandao gave Katara a look before he began to hand out the class syllabus. "Since you all already know each other, I won't bother with the introductions. Before I start the class I have an announcement to make of the utmost importance; as most of you probably have seen on the news, there have been a rash of students vanishing. Because of this, the school has wisely decided to give you students a reminder to be cautious around people you don't know and to not go anywhere on your own at night. That goes doubly so for the girls. I'm sorry to say it, but you're in far more danger than the boys given the nastiness that has come about." Piandao took a moment to scan the faces of his students, committing each one to memory.

Katara stared wide eyed at the professor, seeing true fear and worry reflecting in his eyes as his gaze swept over the class for the umpteenth time. Being so new to the city as well as the school, all of this was news to her and Katara couldn't help but feel nervous. She scanned the room on her own accord and noticed how seriously the entire class was taking the information, as if the events that she knew nothing about had taken a heavy toll on their hearts.

"You may already know this, but we've already lost three students this crime spree and I would hate to lose any more." The remorse choked the life from the room, stilling all actions save for the one student that had run out in tears. _One of the students must have been a friend,_ Katara concluded sadly.

"No student is allowed to travel alone, even on school grounds. We don't want to take any risks. The buddy system shall be enforced strictly and without leniency, so get used to it because soon it will be a city wide policy. Within the week a city wide curfew will be instilled for all, 10 o'clock for minors and midnight for adults. This is a serious matter, one that should be treated with the utmost seriousness.

Katara sighed to herself as her train finally began to leave its station. It would be another forty something odd minutes before she got to her stop and from there she'd have a fifteen minute or so walk. Katara sighed again, wishing that she had some homework or something to help pass the time.

* * *

_At least my first day wasn't so bad, _Katara thought with a half smile. _I could do without some of the teachers and students though. _Katara looked around the almost empty train car, hers being the last along the train and fortunately the least crowded. She wasn't sure why though, seeing as all the other cars were crammed to their maximum capacity.

A familiar scarred face came into her line of sight, making her groan with irritation. _Doesn't he have a car? _Katara wanted to curse her luck as she eyed Zuko's profile. A smug look graced her features soon after upon realizing that flecks of dried purple paint still clung to his hair and jaw line, while large blotches of it stained his collar.

"See something you like," Zuko growled without turning to meet her expression. He had noticed her presence earlier, and while cursing his luck he prayed that she wouldn't notice him.

"Purple is definitely your color," Katara grinned.

"I'm glad you think so," Zuko replied swiftly with a roll of his eyes.

"What are you doing here anyway, don't you have a car? What, did it break down?" Katara asked, as she crossed her legs and examined her nails in a bored fashion.

"Didn't feel like driving," Zuko responded before claiming the seat next to her. He crossed his arms and silently dared her to order him to move.

"Didn't feel like driving? With a car like that?" Katara stared at Zuko incredulously. _Damn rich people…If I had a car like that I'd drive it every chance I got, _Katara thought bitterly.

"Eh, I'd rather ride my bike, but that's in the shop," Zuko shrugged.

"A bicycle?" Katara smirked.

"Motorcycle." Katara's expression reverted back to one of bitterness.

"Then why do you live in our neighborhood?" Katara was genuinely curious now.

"Rent is cheap and the place is easy to maintain." Zuko shrugged again before leaning back into his seat with his eyes closed. _She's not so bad…when she's not insulting me._

"You sound as if it's coming out of your own pocket," Katara pressed. She dropped her image of feigned boredom as she turned her body so that she was sitting sideway's in her seat. Her knee's brushed against his thighs for a moment before all contact was terminated. But even though the touch lasted for barely a second, both could barely ignore the jolt of electricity that shot through their bodies.

"It does, in a matter of speaking," Zuko said finally. He then pulled his bag up to his side and began ruffling through its side pockets. His hand re-emerged with a small Mp3 player a few moments later. Black ear buds were later unwound from the simple red music player before one of them was held out for Katara.

Katara looked at him curiously for a moment before accepting the silent offer, placing the black bud into her ear and leaning her body closer to his to keep from stretching the chord out to far. There was a moment of silence before the opening chords of an electric guitar wafted into her ears. Words to a song Katara had never heard before strung together in a haunting melody, the woman's voice taking a deep and husky tone.

The two sat like that for the rest of the trip, and when the train slowly came to a halt, the silent bliss that was shared between the two came to an abrupt end with the sounding of a phone.

"Hello," Zuko greeted into the receiver of his cell.

Katara just watched Zuko as he listened to whoever was speaking to him. His face stayed completely neutral and gave Katara little to go by so she removed the bud from her ear and followed Zuko off of the train. Katara watched him like a hawk and was always two steps behind him as he walked.

"I don't see why not." Zuko's words spiked Katara's interest even more as she strained to hear the other side of the conversation. "Not in this life time…You do realize I'm still dating Mai, right? ...What! No, I'm not with her because of that…or that…Sweet Agni, nor that. I'll talk to you later La," Zuko flipped his phone shut before checking over his shoulder.

Katara was trailing behind him, her eyes scanning everywhere as she walked. There was an air of tension about her, but that was probably because of the area through which they walked.

"So, who was it," Katara asked in an attempt to strike up conversation, moving as close as she could to Zuko without touching him as more and more catcalls and wolf whistles were sent her way.

"Nobody for you to worry about," Zuko replied after sending a threatening glare at one of the more vocal passerby's.

"Oh, is that so?" Katara didn't mean to sound miffed by Zuko's reply, but the way he said it was so dismissive and condescending that she felt her hackles rise with indignation. She picked up her pace and started to walk ahead of him, but not too far since she was still unnerved by the lewd remarks and catcalls being sent her way. The two rounded the corner and slowly made their way behind a strip mall, the road to their neighborhood was tucked in behind it and hidden from the rest of the world. Because if this, the lights of the sun were blocked and the shadows were longer than they should have been. Several places shrouded in shadows hid many nooks and crannies, each able to hide anything or anyone.

Zuko sighed to himself; jogging to catch up to her while in his mind he was trying to figure out what he did to set her off again. He just hoped he learned to maintain his patience since he knew he'd need it, especially if he was going to be giving her rides to and from school. He could already tell that Katara would be against the idea, since they don't really like each other and all, but there was no way he was going to let her travel by herself. If the way people were reacting to her was any indication, she'd be a prime target for a kidnapping and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if she were abducted when he could do something to prevent it.

Finally coming to his decision and only a few steps from Katara's walkway, Zuko grasped Katara's shoulder to acquire her attention. "I'll pick you up around six thirty in the morning," he said once he had it, not leaving much room for discussion.

At first Katara just blinked at him, a comment forming on her lips, but she stilled her words and nodded. Though she didn't show it, she was worried about traveling to and from school since she didn't have the heart to ask Sokka to go with her. It would mean he'd have to get up ridiculously early so he could take her to school, then travel alone clear across the city and most likely be late for his own schooling. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Zuko shrugged. He watched Katara turn from him and he didn't stop until she was secure inside her house. Once satisfied with her safety, Zuko continued on his way home.

Zuko entered his house with a sigh of relief, tossing his things onto the nearby counter before he stalked over to his living room. Today wasn't so bad, if anything it proved to be interesting. _What a strange girl, _Zuko thought, running through his interactions with Katara. If anything, she would prove to be a limitless source of entertainment. At that, Zuko grinned.

Turning on his television, Zuko contented himself to spend the rest of the evening on the couch since he didn't feel like being social that day. Instead, he was happy with claiming that day as one of his rare 'lazy days.' Afterall, if Zuko wasn't there, who knows what trouble Katara would get into. He could already hear her outsided through his open sliding door. She was conversing with her grandmother, that much he could tell, but beyond that he didn't know. _Not like I care._

* * *

"No! Let go of me!" Katara exclaimed, struggling against the iron like grip on her shoulders. She could feel her heart beat a mile a minute against her ribcage, pumping adrenaline through her system. She turned to the side, taking in the site of the river and bending the water from it. A serpentine stream of water came to her bidding, writhing in time with her movements before striking Katara's assailant's head with enough force to knock him back and free her. Katara didn't wait to see if the man would go down for the count. Instead she ran, watching the stumbling giant of a man as if fearing that he would capture her again.

She didn't get very far. When she turned in time to pay attention to what was ahead of her, a familiar face came into view, startling Katara to stop. She tried to turn away and run in a different direction, but the momentum created by her run, regardless of how short, sent her barreling towards him. Panic seized her heart, and even as she tried to back away from him, a firm vice like grip seized her wrists. Cerulean met amber and the violent staccato of Katara's heartbeat pulsed throughout her body and rendered her powerless.

"I'll save you from the pirates," his voice promised even as his scarred face was contorted into a leer. His eyes, alight with a raging inferno from within, looked down into Katara's eyes and singed her very soul. She wanted to run, to fight, but she couldn't move. There was so much pain and anger that it paralyzed Katara, numbing her to everything around her. There was something about his eyes that drew Katara, but she feared the secrets that the searing amber gaze held.

"Zuko," she breathed, almost as if to taste his name. Her breath shuttered and her mind started to race. She needed to get away. Katara snapped herself out of her daze and started to struggle against Zuko's hold, but she found herself drained of her strength, as if her body did not want to fight. _I need to get away! I need to warn the others!_ The thought of Aang and Sokka lying helpless spurred her onward and filled Katara with the strength to free one of her arms from Zuko's grasp. But it wasn't enough.

Zuko pulled her back with the arm he still held, her back slamming against his chest and allowing for his now free arm to snake around her torso, pinning her free arm in place. Katara fought against his hold, kicking out in hopes of landing a strong enough hit against him. But the adrenaline left her in a rush, leaving her body sore and aching and rendering her attacks weak and pointless. She was tired and spent from her time practicing her bending and the warmth that Zuko's body radiated had lulled Katara's treacherous body into submission. However, Katara refused to give up.

Katara felt the rumble of a chuckle against her back, allowing for Zuko's breath to ghost over her neck. Shivers of pleasure trailed down her spine even as she arched away in hopes of ridding herself of the feeling. Panic coiled within her belly, but her body wouldn't cooperate with her demands to fight back. Her body didn't want to fight back. Katara's body wanted more of the warmth. It wanted to rest.

"Tired," Zuko smirked when he felt Katara's body go slack against him. Careful of his surroundings, Zuko swiftly bound Katara's arms with a rope he had secured to his waist and carried Katara towards a nearby tree. Katara may have been tired now, but there was no telling when a new vigor would fill her with the energy to fight back again. Even with as weak as she was, Zuko did not want the challenge. She may be his enemy, but he did not want to hurt her more than he absolutely had to. Regardless of who or what he was, he was a gentleman and the peasant in his arms was a lady.

Katara kept her eyes downcast, ashamed of how easily she had been defeated and captured. If only she were stronger. If only she was smarter. She wouldn't be in this situation. Anger filled her entire being rekindling her fighter's spirit even as she was bound to the nearest sturdy tree. Zuko may have her now, but she was not going to make this easy for him. Lifting her head, Katara glared at Zuko.

Zuko met her gaze with a glare of his own, unfazed by the look. He knew as well as she did that she was defeated, and as such, harmless for the time being. "Where is the Avatar?" Zuko questioned, not caring to mince words in that instant.

"I haven't the slightest," Katara lied, turning from Zuko's burning gaze. She did not wish to look at him, the very sight of him making her skin crawl in ways that she despised.

"I have trouble believing that you would be left all alone," Zuko countered evenly. "Tell me where he is, and I won't hurt you or your brother."

Katara lifted her head and turned to face Zuko defiantly. "Go jump in the river!" She barked, straining against her bonds as if by doing so her words would hold more weight. What else could she do?

Zuko watched her for a moment, the fire in her eyes so bright that it could rival the inner flames of the benders under his employ. If the peasant before him was anything, she was brave. Intimidating her was not going to bring about favorable results, so he would try a different tactic. If the answers couldn't be intimidated out of her, then maybe he could reason with her. "Try to understand, I need to capture him to restore something I've lost; my honor." Zuko circled her as he said this, trying to keep his expression less frightening as he kept his eyes locked with hers. "Perhaps in exchange I can restore something **_you've _**lost." Zuko whispered into Katara's ear.

Katara looked away stubbornly, even as another wave of delicious shivers traveled down his spine. The warmth of his breath set Katara's nerve endings a blaze, heating the skin while leaving the rest of her cold and hungry for more of that feeling. Even through the tree, Katara could feel Zuko's body behind her. She tried not to flinch when she felt Zuko's fingers brush against her sides, tracing their way up over her arms and leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. Katara's breathe deepened and her glare slowly slipped and fell. Something dark and familiar entered her peripheral view just as Zuko's touch left her shoulders. Pinched between his fingers was a familiar black ribbon with a small bone medallion nestled at its center. Katara's heart skipped a beat at the choker, her eyes trailing over the smooth dark fabric onto the contrasting pale skin that held it.

"My mother's necklace!" Katara gasped as she watched Zuko pull away from her completely, taking with him both his warmth and the pendant she treasured.

* * *

Katara awoke to the sound of someone banging on her bedroom door. She turned her head to face her room groggily, searching for any threat that could have slipped in through the night. As the haze of slumber lifted, various annoying sounds were added onto the insistent knocking on her door. One of which was a high pitched beeping that came from her digital alarm clock. Her eyes settled on the simple black device and Katara blanched.

It was six fifteen in the morning and Katara was supposed to be up and ready to go by six thirty. Katara made a sound of complaint as she was suddenly awake. She tore the covers from her body and stood from her bed in one quick burst of movement. In the next, she was at her door and unlocking it so the person on the other end would stop hitting it. She opened it in a rush, apologies spilling from her lips before she could even look up and see who had roused her.

"Good morning sunshine," an increasingly familiar voice greeted sarcastically.

"Zuko?" Katara exclaimed, looking up into the eyes of a particularly agitated firebender. "What are you doing here?" _"I'll save you from the pirates..."_ Katara's mind echoed, replaying her dream and juxtaposing this Zuko's face with the one from her dream.

"I'm here to take you to school," Zuko answered, crossing his arms and staring at the wall some distance behind the scantily clad Katara. "Would you put some clothes on? I'd like to see where I'm going when I drive." Zuko gave Katara a quick glance in time to see the strap of her small white tank top slip downwards on her shoulder, lowering the left corner of her tank to reveal a fraction more of her cleavage. Zuko instantly looked away again and scanned Katara's room in hopes of distracting his mind from the image.

"But who let you into my house?" Katara demanded, letting his previous statement slide. Katara's eyes darted from Zuiko's form in search of any form of weapon she could use, feeling the water from the faucets call out to her as if sensing her nervousness.

"Your grandmother, she sent me to wake you since the alarm obviously wasn't doing its job and your breakfast was getting cold," he answered almost quickly. Zuko looked for something else to look at while Katara processed the information. It took her a moment, but her bedroom door was closed in Zuko's face and the sound of drawers and her wardrobe being yanked open met his ears. Zuko sighed and allowed his shoulders to slump before a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Zuko, dear, are you sure you wouldn't like something to eat?" Gran-gran's voice called from the kitchen.

"I'm sure," Zuko replied, stepping from Katara's door and making his way back into the dining room/living room combo. "Thank you for your kindness though Ms. Yǔdī."

"Any time dear, I really appreciate you looking out for my Katara." Kanna smiled knowingly. She set up the table for Katara to eat quickly, scooping her scrambled eggs onto her toast so Katara could eat on the go.

"It's no trouble at all," Zuko smiled pleasantly. He watched the elder woman go about her self appointed chore with a wistful smile on his face. Though he didn't remember her much, the kind Kanna reminded him a lot of his own grandmother. "Is there anything you would like me to help you with while I wait?" Zuko offered, rising from his seat on the couch the moment he saw the elderly woman wince at some pain in her hands.

"No thank you dear," Kanna smiled serenely. "These hands may be old, but they're quite capable."

"Alright," Zuko relented, keeping his eyes glued to Kanna's form in case she experienced anymore pain.

"Sorry I took so long," Katara called, coming through the hall washed and dressed. She was struggling to bun some of her hair and walk at the same time, her unruly strands proving defiant to Katara's nimble fingers.

"No worries dear, you were up late so sleeping in was expected," Kanna soothed, lifting Katara's plate and handing it over to her.

Katara smiled sheepishly, dropping her hair to accept her food and allow for her grandmother to take over. While eating, Katara bent her knees enough for Kanna to reach the top of her head without any strain, ignoring the burning sensation in her thighs. She was young, so she could handle it. Besides, Katara wouldn't dare complain, especially now with Zuko hovering nearby. Once her Gran-gran was done, Katara righted herself and placed the now empty plate back onto the table.

"Ready to go?" Zuko asked once Katara wiped the crumbs from her face.

"Ready when you are." Katara's gaze held an edge of distrust, but Zuko didn't bring any attention to it. They weren't on the best of terms and he figured he would react in a similar fashion if the roles were reversed.

"Let's go."

* * *

Author's Note: Again, SORRY for the really BAD chapter. I'm going by my planned out outline and I'm sticking to it...so again, sorry for the boring and short chapter.

Author's Note 2: Again, sorry for the bad chapter. i just hope that the little addition gets favorable reviews. I'm gonna get back to work on the next chapter before my medicine puts me back to sleep. RnR.


	3. Final Introductions

Author's Note: I'm so sorry about the wait and the subsequent bad chapter. It's very hoppy and I can't think of any way to better it without holding it for another month or so. So I'm going to post it as is against my better judgement and go back and fix it as I can. So I'm warning you, this is going to be a bad chapter. I repeat, this is going to be a very BAD chapter. Well...RnR.

* * *

Katara lounged happily in her room, kicking her feet as she made notes for her assigned reading. It was the Friday of the third week and Katara had eased into her high school life with a sense of happiness. Save for Zuko, Katara had managed to avoid making any major enemies and hasn't gotten on anyone's bad side…that she knew of. Thinking back on the first day, high school really wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

The sound of a motor roaring down the road caused Katara to lift her head with an annoyed expression. _Sounds like Zuko's home,_ Katara scowled. She closed her notebook into her literature book and rose from her bed. Though she was loath to do it, she needed to pay Zuko a visit. She had left her math notes in his car in her rush to be free of him. Katara glanced at the mirror and made sure that she looked presentable. Adjusting her jean mini and white tank top to cover a bit more than they were designed to, Katara made sure that not a thing was out of place. She may not like him, but she didn't want for him to think she was a slob. With one final fluff of her hair, Katara slipped on a pair of flip-flops and left her room.

"I'm gonna swing by Zuko's for a bit," Katara announced when she saw her grandmother lounging on the couch in front of the television. Katara couldn't help but smile at her gran-gran, who had started to doze even as a particularly flashy explosion filled the screen. Sokka, who was draped over the perpendicular love seat, was out cold due to his exhaustive school schedule. Katara didn't know what that schedule was, but she figured that Sokka would tell her whenever he accomplished whatever it was he was trying to accomplish, as was his style.

"Alright dear, tell him I said hello," Kanna yawned. She stole a glance at her beloved grandson and smiled matronly. Sokka did like to take on grand projects that would drain him of all his energy, something Kanna was secretly grateful for. She loved her grandson, but there were times when he was just too much. Kanna eyed Sokka a bit longer, unsure how deep his slumber was before deciding to risk it. Leaning forward, Kanna slowly eased the television's remote control from Sokka's loose grip. He didn't even stir. Kanna grinned and changed the channel to the QVC and pulled out a basket from under the coffee table.

Inside the basket was a variety of nick nacks and materials that could be used to make various articles like jewelry, clothing, and the like. It was one of Kanna's guilty pleasures ever since she was a little girl. She especially loved it when Katara was able to join her, but that was usually on the weekends when she didn't have work to do. Kanna lifted her head in time to see Katara smile sweetly and wave goodbye, a gesture which Kanna returned happily. Neither of the two wanted to wake up Sokka since he was known for random bursts of insomnia, as was expected of an obsessive individual such as he.

Katara left the house in no rush, picking up some money from the kitchen's money jar on her way out since she heard the ice cream truck enter her neighborhood. Katara followed the happy jingle farther down the cul-de-sac, passing Zuko's home with barely a glance in its direction. She was in no hurry to subject herself to his snide remarks or belittling looks. Besides, from the looks of things he was getting it on with Mai. Katara wanted to wait till he got farther into it before she interrupted him. _It'll serve him right for spilling his Gatorade all over me. It cost me my entire allowance to have the dry cleaners removed the stains,_ Katara thought bitterly.

When Katara arrived at the truck's side she was shocked to see Zuko there as well, passing out the sweet frozen confections to the little ones that flocked around him with bright smiles and greedy hands. Katara couldn't help it; a smile bloomed on her face when she saw a particularly rambunctious little girl cling to his leg, an old and abused teddy bear tucked under her arm with ice cream dripping onto its head. There was a loud chorus of 'thank you's from the children before they ran off to continue their play farther down the road

"I thought you hated kids," Katara found herself saying once the little girl had finally let go of Zuko's leg.

Zuko looked up with a jolt, lifting his arms as if to bend a stream of flames in Katara's direction. He stopped short and blushed profusely, as if caught doing an embarrassing and dirty act. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get some ice cream before I swung by your house to get my math notes," Katara explained, approaching the white van's gaping window so she could better see her choices. She settled on a strawberry shortcake ice cream.

"Why would I have your notes?" Zuko questioned, pulling out his money without even thinking on the matter. He paid the man before Katara had the chance to do so, purchasing two popsicles for himself.

"Thank you," Katara offered, eyeing Zuko suspiciously.

"Don't mention it," Zuko shrugged.

"Anyway, my math notes. Remember, I was trying to do some homework before you decided the road was a race track?" Katara arched a brow and crossed her arms, knowing that Zuko remembered since he was grinning guiltily.

"Oh yeah, I tossed it in the back seat." Zuko grinned. He knew he had a speeding problem, one that he was truly working on. But Katara just made it so hard for him. There she was, completely lost in her own little world and looking like a saint. Then Jet pulled up next to him in his own car. The two were flirting back and forth during the red light that it drove him crazy. He had to do something, and Zuko knew Jet wouldn't pass up the chance to race. Zuko didn't know why he wanted to distract Jet from Katara, but he did it. The race ended in his victory, but even so Jet still managed to swap numbers with Katara. _It's not like she's my girl anyway. Just, why Jet. He's okay and all but he has some major issues he needs to work through._

"Oh joy," Katara groaned. When Zuko says he 'tossed it in the back seat' it usually meant that whatever it was she was looking could be anywhere between the car and the garage. She learned that the hard way during the first week of school when her cell phone fell from her bag. Zuko said he tossed it into the back seat, but she found it under a shelf in his garage. Several embarrassing stains and harsh words later, Katara was home trying to explain why her clothes were stained with dirt and the top button of her blouse was missing. "I wonder where it is this time."

"I dunno, but I suggest you start from the bottom and work your way up," Zuko teased, popping his now open cherry popsicle into his mouth.

Katara glared at him before she did the same, lapping up the cakey crumbs from her ice cream just as the first drips of melted vanilla started to melt onto her fingers. She followed Zuko to his house with an irritated twitch of her brow, doing a mental checklist of what she remembered of Zuko's garage and working up a course of action. When Zuko opened the garage, Katara took the lead and went straight to the car, deciding that there would be the best starting point.

Zuko watched Katara from where he leaned against the wall. He had no intention of helping her, enjoying his fruity treat while the other melted in his hands due to the heat outside and his higher than average body temperature. He cocked his head to the side when Katara bent over to search along the floor of the back seat, subconsciously hoping to catch a glimpse of what was beneath her skirt. He may not like the girl, but he was a red blooded heterosexual male and she was one exotic and deliciously attractive girl. A pair of white shorts impeded his eyes from seeing anything, which made Zuko scowl in a disheartened fashion.

"You could help me look you know," Katara called over her shoulder as she climbed out of the car, dropping onto her hands and knees to search under it. It was a strange place to look, she knew, but so was under the shelf to the far right of her. She didn't find her notes, but she did find a gift card to some coffee shop. Katara scanned it and was pleased to see that it had yet to expire. Pocketing the card, Katara crawled over to the sleek red motorcycle to her right and searched underneath it. She found a couple coins and pocketed those as well.

"You're doing a great job on your own." Zuko shrugged, leaning over his bike while Katara checked the side compartments. When she came up empty she stood up and shooed him off of his motorcycle so she could lift the seat to another storage compartment. She found a notebook, and lifted it for inspection only to be disappointed to learn that it wasn't hers.

"You could still help," Katara repeated, flipping through the pages for anything interesting before tossing it over her shoulder into the back seat of Zuko's car.

"Say please, and maybe I might," Zuko offered.

"Please?" Katara huffed, crossing her arms and leering up into his eyes.

"No." Zuko grinned, leaning against his bike again so that his face was barely an inch away from Katara's.

Katara flinched backwards and growled, stomping her foot and dropping her fists to her hips. "But you said-"

"I said I might." Zuko interrupted.

"Jerk," Katara muttered. She turned on her heel and marched over to the shelf where she found her cell phone the first time and worked from the bottom up. She caught sight of her book on the top shelf a few moments later. She could tell it was hers because of the fact that it was pink and covered in glittery and metallic swirls. She tried to reach for it, but she lacked the height to reach it. She tried a couple more times, even hopping in hopes of reaching it, but her repetitive failures were met with chuckles from her unhelpful audience member.

"Need some help with that?" Zuko wasn't looking at Katara anymore; instead he was looking inside through the open door that led into his home. That was where Mai stood, an impatient expression on her face and dressed in only Zuko's shirt. It dwarfed her until she looked almost sexless, until her long shapely legs entered the eye's field of vision. Her long black hair cascaded around her face, mussed up from the afternoon's activities. Here cheeks, usually pale, were flushed with color and her lips were just as bright. She and Zuko locked eyes for a moment in time, silently conversing while Katara remained oblivious.

"Are you going to make me say please again?" Katara lifted her head in time to see Mai's legs leave her peripheral vision. Katara looked to the doorway, now empty, before her eyes darted over to Zuko. He was wearing a grin that she had only seen once before a while back when Mai had bummed a ride with Zuko and herself one morning. She hadn't seen either of them the entire day so she really didn't want to know what had happened even though it was plainly obvious. Part of her didn't like having the knowledge that Zuko and Mai were so intimate, but that was probably because she and Zuko didn't get along. Katara didn't have a solid opinion about Mai just yet, but so far it wasn't entirely favorable to the frigid young woman.

"No," Zuko denied, approaching Katara so he could reach up and pull the notebook free. He didn't remember putting it up there, but since that's where his book bag was earlier he figured he probably put the notebook with his stuff when he found it. He wasn't completely sure because when he got home he was…occupied with his house's current occupant. He'd only left a while ago to run a quick errand, and when he got back the ice cream truck was there and the kids looked so dejected since they couldn't have any. Call him a sucker. Call him a softie. But Zuko couldn't resist, he got the kids some ice cream since he could afford it and they wanted it.

"Thank you," Katara said, offering a quick smile while hugging her notebook to her chest.

"Any time," Zuko replied, finding her actions rather cute. "See you Monday morning. Try not to sleep in."

"I won't make any promises, this weekend has a full moon," Katara answered honestly. "Bye." Katara turned on from Zuko and scuttled out of his garage, no longer wishing to serve as his cock block. She barely got into her house when she heard her cell phone ringing, a current popular pop song playing remarkably loud given the fact that her cell's speakers weren't all that large or grand. Katara swore under her breath, making a mad dash to her room in hopes of reaching it before it went to voicemail.

"Hello!" Katara greeted breathlessly. She had dived onto her bed just as the phone reached its final 'ring.' The landing had jostled her books from her bed, dumping them onto the floor and losing her place in her notes. Katara didn't care at that moment in time though, eager to know who was calling her and why.

"Hey Katara," Aang's voice greeted merrily. There was a ruckus going on wherever he was from what Katara could hear, and another familiar voice reached her ears.

"She finally answered? Gimme the phone," Toph's voice commanded. The sound of a scuffle could later be heard at Aang's denial. Katara just listened with barely contained laughter. She rolled onto her back and waited patiently for her dear friends to decide who was going to get the phone. An exclamation of pain reached her ears, but Katara did not worry since it was only Aang. When in the presence of the rough and tough Toph, such things were a common occurrence.

"So what's up?" Katara asked finally.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Toph asked in a rush, her breathing elevated due to her bending the marble of her floor around Aang.

"Not really, no." Katara replied truthfully, sitting up to scan her calendar which she kept pinned to the wall over her bed. There was nothing marked on the box for the following Saturday. Truth be told there wasn't anything labeled for any of the days. _I need a life, _Katara though absently.

"Cool. Do you want to go to the beach with us?" Toph asked eagerly.

"Sure." Katara agreed happily. Any chance to go to the beach was okay by her book.

"Great, do you want me to pick you up or do you want to meet us somewhere?" Toph questioned, her voice carrying over Aang's repeated offers to give Katara a ride as well.

Katara didn't answer right away, unsure how far the beach was and if Katara really wanted Toph to see where she lived. Not that Katara was ashamed of her financial status, it was just that Toph was very well off and Katara wasn't. Such a thing would be met with some culture shock in most cases, especially since Toph had been so sheltered if the stories Katara had heard were anything to go by.

"Give me a sec,' Katara requested before resting her phone on her night stand. She then opened its drawer and pulled out a map of Caldera city and its bus and train routes. She found that there was a train that went directly to the beach, its only stops in between being two points in Caldera City and one in Harbor City. It wasn't even a particularly long trip either if there was some form of entertainment. Katara snatched up her phone again with a smile on her face. "I can meet you at the train station at the beach. What time do you want to meet up?"

"We can meet you there around nine or so," Toph smiled.

"Great! I'll see you then." Katara beamed.

* * *

"How long is this train ride supposed to be?" Sokka complained for the umpteenth time that morning.

"You didn't have to come," Katara countered, rolling her eyes until they returned to the novel she had brought along for the ride.

"And leave my baby sister defenseless? I don't think so." Sokka grumbled before he took a vicious bite from a sandwich he had bought a few minutes ago. "Besides, I want to meet your friends."

Katara let the defenseless statement slide for the time being, since that very morning reports of another handful of teens and young adults, most of which being girls were abducted. Given their past history, Katara understood why Sokka was so worried and overly protective. Katara reached up to her neck and allowed her fingers to caress the ancient bone pendant that hung there. It was a family heirloom that had been passed down from generation to generation, daughter to daughter. The pendant was well over two hundred years old and had even been worn around the neck of the Avatar Aang's wife. That really didn't matter though. All that mattered to Katara was the pendant's previous late owner; her mother.

"Thinking about mom?" Sokka inquired, draping his arm over his sister's shoulders to pull her in a comforting embrace.

"Yeah," Katara nodded. She allowed her head to lull to the side until her ear rested against her brother's heart, counting each beat in her head. Sokka's heart was always so strong and steady, the strong beating a sound that Katara had derived comfort from.

"You okay?" Sokka looked down at the mass of brown curls that made up Katara's hair. She was shaking her head in the negative, but she did not rise from his chest. Sokka sighed while adjusting himself to be more comfortable since Katara wasn't going to be moving any time soon. Scanning the train, Sokka was pleased to see that they were pulling in to their stop, which meant he could finally stretch his legs. Two hours in one place did nothing for Sokka's limitless energy. He needed to move.

"Train's stopping," Katara yawned, lifting her phone to see the time. They were a few minutes late, but it wasn't so bad that Katara really minded. She stood up and stretched before reaching up to grab her bag from the shelf above her. She could feel Sokka doing the same behind her, but she didn't bother to turn and look. The long string of pops and cracks was answer enough for her. The two siblings waited patiently for the signal that allowed them to get off the train, both excited to be able to see the ocean after a good while.

The minute they were off the train, phones were in hand as the Yǔdī kids called their friends to announce their arrival. Sokka had made plans with his friends from his own school to hang out at the beach as well. That he wouldn't be stuck with Katara and her friends the entire time if they proved to be boring. He adored his sister, but the thought of subjecting himself to girl talk did not appeal to him…unless it was a certain girl that he was trying to get to answer her phone.

"Hey Sokka," a girl's voice greeted from behind him and not from his phone.

"Suki!" Sokka beamed like an idiot, making said girl laugh.

Suki had her short shoulder length auburn hair pulled into pigtails with her bangs slicked back and held in place by pins. Her deep red tube top wound tightly around her bust, held in place only by its stretchiness and her generous assets. Over her bikini bottoms she had a pair of jean shorts that she didn't even bother to button up. This exposed her perfect washboard abs that any other girl would kill for and her simple red and silver belly button piercing. From it hung a fan that matched the choker she wore. Under her arm Suki carried a surf board, green and white with Kyoshi symbols for strength and endurance.

"So, who's this?" Suki asked with a smile, gesturing with her chin towards Katara.

"This is my baby sister Katara. Katara, this is one of my classmates Suki," Sokka introduced.

"Katara…" Suki cocked her head to the side curiously, recognizing the name from somewhere in her recent collection of memories. In doing so she caught sight of one of her cousins which put the memory in place. "Oh I know of you. My cousins, the Ty's have told me about you. I'm so sorry about the trouble Ty La caused. Are you alright?" Suki held out her hand as she said this for a shake, her sunny smile returning to her face.

"I'm fine," Katara assured, shaking Suki's offered hand. "Accidents happen."

"Yeah…" It was Katara's turn to cock her head to the side. Again she received a hesitant response to her words, and Katara was suddenly doubting if Ty La's actions really was an 'accident.'

"So, you hear for the party?" Suki asked, shifting her board around to redistribute the weight.

"Party?" Katara repeated curiously, searching her own memories in hopes of finding a clue as to what Suki was talking about.

"You know, the one Azula's having? Everyone's invited." Suki explained, leading the two out to the beach.

"I guess…" Sokka and Katara shared a look and shrugged, neither really caring either way as of yet.

"Great!" Suki cheered before she waved over a large cluster of girls. They all stopped their game of kuai ball and run over, revealing their matching faces. "Hey guys, this is my friend Sokka, the one I was telling you about."

"Hi Sokka," they chorused, giggling amongst themselves as they shared silent messages.

"Uh…Hi." Sokka stared at the girls dumbfounded, counting all the girls present before coming to the conclusion that he just might be the luckiest guy in existence in that very moment.

"These are my cousins, the Ty sisters. Unfortunately I have to chaperone them since they tend to draw trouble." Suki's expression turned sour when she saw a group of considerably older men ogling her younger cousins. "They're only sixteen! Go sniff someone else's butt!" Suki bellowed suddenly. The men were gone within seconds, but the scowl on Suki's face remained. "Sorry about that," Suki apologized to Sokka once she was sure that her point had gotten across to the many other men that had stayed to look.

"No worries, I know the feeling." Sokka gave Katara a pointed look and a growl.

During the time it took for Suki to scare the potential threats away, Katara had pulled off her turquoise sarong to reveal a simple white bikini. She then tucked the large piece of fabric into her tote bag, making sure that her phone was still easily accessible should it ring. Katara adjusted her pigtails, making sure that her hair ties were tightly secured.

"Katara!" two voices called excitedly just as Momo came into view and landed on Katara's shoulder.

Katara smiled and waved her two friends over, entertained by the fact that Toph had latched herself onto Aang's arm due to her blindness. While she waited, Momo chattered away in her ear before he left her completely to investigate Sokka's interesting hair style. When the two arrived, introductions were made before the large group worked their way closer to the beach. During this time, Toph had extracted herself from Aang and attached herself to Sokka even though the two had just met. He didn't complain though, since he was far more sure footed as compared to the flighty Aang.

Only when the group had picked a spot to place their things did the group break apart to do their own thing. Aang and Toph joined Ty Lee, Ty Lin and Ty Lon by the shallower waters enjoying the smooth sand and powerful waves. The other Ty's reengaged in their game of kuai ball, their game moving along fine even though they lacked a net to separate them. Sokka and Suki laid out on the beach to work on their tans and talk, both keeping their eyes locked on their wards. Katara on the other hand was happy as can be.

Bending some of the water into a board of ice, Katara made her way over to the deeper waters and waited patiently for the arrival of a glorious wave that she knew was coming. Anticipation built up inside her as she watched the waters swell, prompting her to turn her frozen board in preparation. When the water rose, and she with it, she mounted her board, planting her feet firmly on the ice and finding her center of balance. In that instant she was flying. She was gliding over the water, the deep blue and shimmering teal curling around her in a barrel of power and strength. She loved it.

Katara rode the wave, steering her board upwards until there was nothing beneath her but the air itself. She twisted in space, allowing the mist of the water to cool her, clinging to her skin and hair and adding to her increasing wetness. A celebratory laugh escaped her lips as her board rejoined the water's surface. She wound her way over the water, avoiding a small handful of other surfers and pulling along side another. She allowed the water to carry her to a placement higher than the surfer next to her, her eyes alight with mirth. Both she and the surfer next to her snaked beyond the wave just as it curled over completely and broke. Katara dropped to sit on her board when she felt that the wave had carried her as far as it could, her eyes searching the horizon for the next wave.

"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice exclaimed.

"Zuko!" Katara blanched, shocked to see that the surfer was none other than her mean chauffer.

"What are you, following me?" Zuko demanded with a scowl.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" Katara countered. "What are you doing here anyway? Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I have as much right to be here as you do, peasant."

"Stop calling me peasant!" Katara snapped vehemently.

"No! Now why are you following me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she hissed. "I'm here with friends. You know, for the party? Hang out with friends. Any of this ring a bell? A lot of people do it. It's called being social."

"Oh, so you so happen to decide to be social at _my sister's _party? I swear, everywhere I go you show up."

"Not for a lack of trying." Katara grumbled. "Like I want to see you're face every day? "

"What was that?"

"I said 'go cool off!" Katara barked, bending a stream of water to knock Zuko off his board.

Zuko's head popped back up from the water's surface and he swam back to his board, grumbling many profanities under his breath. He gave Katara a particularly frosty glare while climbing back onto his board. Once settled, he bent a small burst of flame, melting the ice under Katara enough to make it shatter without actually doing Katara any harm. The squeak that came from her mouth made Zuko's lips pull into a grin before he laughed all out when she popped back up. She glared up at him, but said nothing. Instead she focused on the water.

Katara's face paled for an instant when she felt the wave rise, lifting her with it just as it broke. She wasn't skilled enough yet to create another board on such short notice and under such circumstances, so she braced herself for the inevitable. Instead, strong hands pulled her from the water and swung her onto a smooth fiberglass surface. Instantly she found her center of balance and leaned in to the wave, bracing her hand on Zuko's back. The two synced themselves with the wave, neither communicating with one another as they surrendered themselves to the whims of the ocean and allowed it to carry them onwards. When they stopped they weren't too far off from the beach, so Katara dove from Zuko's surfboard and made her way to the shore with Zuko close behind her.

"You okay?" Zuko asked, true concern and guilt prominent on his face.

"I'm fine." Katara waved Zuko's worries away and offered him a smile since his concern was genuine.

"That was so cool!" Ty Lin shouted, surprising them both when she draped her arms around the two of them in a sudden hug. Her short hair, which had been tied into pigtails tickled Zuko's nose, forcing him to turn away and sneeze. Unfortunately, when he turned, both Ty Lin and Katara lost their balance and fell over, dragging Zuko down with them. "Oopsie…" she chuckled nervously from her place over Zuko's side.

"Ow…" Katara groaned, afraid to open her eyes since during the fall Ty Lin had maneuvered instinctively so that Katara would land on the sand. She could feel Zuko's arm squirm beneath her ribs, but she couldn't do anything about it since Ty Lin was weighing her down.

"Can you get off me now?" Zuko inquired, peeking one eye open to see a couple pairs of feet, all of which were facing in his direction.

"Wow Zu-Zu, you sure work fast. You and Mai* haven't even broken up yet."

"Can it Azula," Zuko growled, lifting his head enough to see his little sister backed by the other Ty's. Mai was a little ways away from the group, so fortunately she missed Azula's comment. Mai was the one that walked over to the pile and pulled Ty Lin onto her feet so both Zuko and Katara could stand, which they did gratefully. They dusted themselves off and looked up to see that all their friends were present and accounted for.

"Ready to go? Mom said I can start the party whenever I want." Azula grinned.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

"Hey, Katara."

Katara whirled around in time to see Jet approach her, all confidence and sex appeal. She smiled nervously, dropping her eyes from Jet's smoldering gaze and bare chest. She reached up into one of her pigtails, running her fingers through her curls nervously until his feet came into her field of vision. She peeked up at him demurely, completely smitten with him. _Why can't Zuko be more like Jet, _Katara pondered. "Hi Jet."

"I tried calling you to see if you wanted to come to the party, but I see you already beat me here. So, how's your day been?" he drawled, a lollipop hanging from his lips.

"It's been great," Katara smiled brightly, her voice loud to carry over the music that blared from the speakers around the house.

"That's great," Jet repeated, allowing his eyes to take in Katara's form. With the sarong tied around her waist he was unable to see the shapely legs he knew to be underneath. He didn't mind all too much however when the white triangles that made up Katara's bathing suit top offered him enough eye candy to keep him interested. _Damn she's got a body for sin, _Jet thought. _But it's her eyes that kill me. _If Katara would let him, Jet could spend hours just looking into her deep cerulean eyes. "Would you like to dance?" he asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"Um, sure." Katara allowed Jet to lead her away from the table at which she sat with Toph and Aang, nervous due to the fact that this was the first time anyone had asked her. Fortunately the music was lively and fast paced, so when they reached the makeshift dance floor she didn't feel completely overwhelmed. Jet kept his fingers laced with hers, coaxing her into a simple two step to start. He could tell that she was nervous, so he did what he could to take the pressure off.

"Don't be so nervous," Jet requested, giving Katara a playful spin into his arms. She looked up at him with her deep eyes, her mouth parted as if to ask a question. In that moment he was lost, and if she asked it, he would do about anything. "Trust me, I won't let anything bad happen to you," he promised reassuringly.

"I don't want to look stupid," Katara admitted, allowing Jet to guide her body to move in time with his and the music.

"You could never look stupid," Jet assured her, "especially to me."

"Thanks," Katara blushed. Jet spun her away from his body far enough so that she could move on her own, yet close enough so she wouldn't be snatched away by another. Katara decided then not to care, closing her eyes and allowing the music to move her. She felt Jet's arms encircle her waist as the music slowed to a mellower beat, but she did nothing to stop him since his arms maintained a respectable place on her back. They danced for a moment longer, enjoying minor chit-chat that both would forget by the end of the night, both content to enjoy each other's company.

A tapping on her shoulder stilled her however. Katara blinked her eyes open to look behind her to find Aang shuffling nervously while staring at his feet. "What's up Aang?" Katara asked, stepping back from Jet enough so she could turn to face her friend.

"Um…can I cut in?" Aang inquired nervously, twiddling his fingers nervously as if afraid of her reaction.

Katara smiled sweetly and turned to Jet with an apologetic smile. Their eyes met and she could see that Jet didn't want for Aang to cut their dance short, but it was also clear that he had caved. He nodded his understanding and smiled roguishly before he backed away. He left Katara's side to go and find his friends or to sulk, whichever came first.

Jet swore under his breath angrily. He didn't want to let Katara go. He especially didn't want to let her go to a child like Aang. Jet jammed his hands into his pocket violently and skulked over to the buffet where he found Zuko and Katara's brother, Sokka conversing. Both had drinks in their hands, most likely spiked without the supervision's knowledge. Zuko saw him and waved him over, dropping his arm from Mai's shoulders as he did so. Jet and Mai exchanged glances, their distaste for one another made plane.*

"Be nice," Zuko hissed under his breath in warning, but whether his words were for Jet or Mai was anyone's guess. Either way the two turned from each other with one last hate filled glare. Zuko allowed himself to drift from the conversation Sokka was now having with both Suki and Jet, the three of them swapping comedic stories that had taken place during various driving fiascos. Since both Jet and Sokka were with him, then that meant Katara was alone without anyone to watch her. He searched the crowd by the pool where he last saw her, but when he didn't see her familiar head of brown hair. Panic began to build up within him. Grabbing Mai's hand as an after thought, Zuko made his way onto the dance floor in hopes of finding her. _Where is she? _Zuko thought, his mind racing as he searched through the many faces of acquaintances and strangers alike.

"Is something wrong?" Zuko heard Mai ask, feeling the tension through his hand. She gave the limb a tug with the hopes that she would gain Zuko's attention, but she failed. Instead she was dragged closer to the makeshift dance floor where a thick ring of people had gathered and cheered. She was pulled through the thick of it, no one thinking to part ways for Zuko and his girlfriend. Mai made another sound of complaint, but her voice was swallowed by a loud boom of cheers.

Zuko sighed his relief when he made his way to the inner edge of the ring of people. The adrenalin left his body in a rush, leaving him relaxed as his muscles loosened and the knot in his stomach uncoiled. There she was; her cerulean eyes alight with joy and passion and a smile that could rival the sun with its radiance. Katara's hair spiraled around her in a curtain of curls and waves, catching the torch light and the fading rays of the sunset and turning her hair into spun copper. She moved with a fluidity that Zuko had never scene before, undulating between her bending stances and merging them with intricate steps of a dance only she knew. She matched her partner step for step, with a flourish all her own.

Aang, her partner in this dance wove through his stances, keeping time with the beat and Katara's movements. But he could not compete in Zuko's eyes. The two came together as if to press their lips together in a kiss. Zuko's pulse spiked and he stepped forward to intervene, as if compelled to by some outside force. But the two stopped short and grinned at one another, instead they clasped their left hands together and gave each other a spin. After the first revolution, Aang incorporated his bending into their dance so he could lift Katara high into the air.

As he danced bellow, Katara spun above, drawing some of the water from the pool to spiral and mist around her. Rings of iridescence circled her before reigning down on the captive audience. But none of them realized something that Zuko did; Katara was going to fall, and Aang was not going to catch her like he believed. Though Aang and Katara couldn't see it, to lost in their own world, Zuko did. Aang's feet weren't braced properly to catch her and though he had aligned himself perfectly with her shadow he was oblivious to the face that Katara was not directly beneath him. Not only would her fall hurt him, it would hurt her as well. _I have to do something._

Zuko let go of Mai's hand and signaled to another bender that had realized the same thing across the way. The earth rumbled as the other teen joined the dance, keeping in time with Aang while maneuvering Aang and himself to serve as a boost for Zuko. The earthbender dropped low to the ground, swinging his legs outwards and having them sweep under in a constant motion in an intricate helicopter.* Fortunately Aang never broke his stride, bending the air around him so he could maneuver himself around and over the breakdancer until he mirrored him. This was Zuko's chance.

He ran into the circle, not really caring to keep the beat at that point in time, and jumped onto the earthbender's feet just as he braced himself on his back with his legs pointing upwards at an angle. The two spun effortlessly, the soles of Zuko's feet braced against the earthbender's. Zuko waited patiently, his eyes darting between Aang and Katara, who was getting a lot closer to the ground. When Aang jumped to join in, Zuko braced his hands against his shoulders, maneuvering Aang into his place. Zuko pushed up from Aang's shoulders and was able to become air born. As he rose, he caught Katara around her waist. Their eyes locked and for a moment they were frozen.

"…_But I am ready to forgive you…" Amber and cerulean met as silent words, words they would not dare express. In that instant all the pain and suffering that surrounded the two vanished, only to be replaced by a friendship that neither have ever experienced, nor would they ever experience with another. When they embraced, the touch meant more to them than any other touch, any other kiss ever could and with it came one simple wish; Don't let go._

Katara and Zuko blinked at each other, landing on their feet in time to hear the crowd cheer in excitement. Neither could understand what had happened, or why. All they understood was that what they saw, what they felt, could not be explained by simple coincidence. They knew the other saw and felt the same things. Both of them saw the sun setting over the water. Both felt the salty sea air ghosting over their skin and heard the creaks of the rickety wooden pier on which they walked.

"What just happened?" Katara gasped, her voice so low that Zuko almost missed her words.

"I…I don't know." Zuko admitted darkly. He stepped away from Katara as the crowd around them began to disperse. The music slowed down to a sultry rhythm and the party goers paired off to dance, their minds becoming clouded by the heady beat. A tapping at Zuko's shoulder reminded him where his was, and he turned to see Mai with a seductive smile on her lips and an angry leer in her eyes. Zuko didn't understand her look for a moment, but when her eyes darted a little to his right he understood her slight anger. He was still holding Katara.

"Dance with me," Mai ordered, pulling Zuko away from Katara and wrapping his arms around her waist. She turned so that her back was flush against Zuko's chest her eyes lingering on Katara for a moment in silent warning. Mai moved her body in one long, slow, and sensuous undulation, grinding her body against Zuko's and coaxing him to move against her. She reached one hand up to run her fingers through Zuko's hair, tilting his head to face her completely and blocking all other sights from his peripheral vision. She dropped her other to rest on Zuko's hand, which slid over her stomach before resting low on her abdomen. Zuko's free hand traced up Mai's side, his touch feather light as it followed the curve of her side until he caressed her cheek.

Katara watched with a rush of envy as Zuko tilted Mai's face upwards so he could kiss her. His lips were slow against hers and his kiss was deep. From the small gap between their lips Katara could see their tongues writhe against one another. Katara was forced to look away. She made a move to leave the dance floor, but was stopped by the earthbender that had joined their dance. "Hello," Katara found herself saying with a forced smile.

"Hi, would you like to dance?" he asked sweetly, a flush of red tinting his dark cheeks.

"I'd love to," Katara agreed, allowing for the earthbender to pull her into his arms and guide her hands onto his shoulders. He kept his hands on the small of her back, not allowing himself to venture anywhere inappropriate. "I'm Haru by the way."

"Katara," she smiled brightly. "I haven't seen you around the school before, do I know you?"

"Not really, no. I go to school with your brother. I just thought you'd like to dance since you enjoy it so much." Haru blushed, dropping his head slightly so his hair could spill forward and hide his blush.

"Thank you," Katara giggled, finding Haru's shyness endearing. "So, you and Sokka are friends?"

"Yeah, we share most of our classes. He's wicked smart…" the last part came out as a grumble, almost as if Haru was bitter about the fact.

"Let me guess, he's a know it all that won't let anyone else answer questions?" Katara arched her brow and waited for the affirmative she was bound to get. When Haru laughed and nodded, Katara allowed herself to join in the laughter.

"I take it this is a common occurrence?" Haru chuckled.

"Yup," Katara giggled merrily, relaxing into Haru's hold. They continued to dance until the song reached its eventual end, the final notes fading into nothing. Only then did Katara extract herself from the dance floor when the need for food became evident.

"You sure get around," Zuko teased from the buffet table.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara growled, subconsciously wondering how Zuko managed to beat her to the buffet table when he was so obviously enjoying himself. "Don't you have thing's, or people, better to do?"

"Better than teasing you? Not really," Zuko shrugged. He leaned against the table and watched Katara while she made it a point to avoid looking at him. She was mad at him, as was expected. But this time the reason was different. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. Maybe it was because of what had happened on the dance floor, because of the shared memory and the connection they had made. Whatever it was, Zuko could tell that Katara's anger was one that he did not want. Indignation for his teasing, yes, that anger he enjoyed. But this was a different anger altogether. "Did I do something?"

"Nope," _You just decided to make out in front of me. I swear, he has no self restraint! Such public displays of affection should be banned. _Katara seethed, piling food onto her plate. _His mother could have seen him too for La's sake._

"And yet you're mad at me," Zuko continued, following Katara to the end of the table.

"I'm not mad," Katara denied. "Why would I be mad?"

"Judging by the waves forming in the punch and the pool, I'm going to have to believe otherwise." Zuko pointed to the cup of spiked punch he held and the whirlpool that spiraled inside of it before gesturing to the excited teens jumping into the "wave pool" that Katara had inadvertently created.

"I'm not mad!" Katara insisted, Zuko's drink decided then to continue proving Katara wrong by dousing Zuko with a geiser of red. Katara flinched back and scrunched her nose, unable to deny responsibility for Zuko's drink.

"Not angry, huh?" Zuko scowled, smoke curling from his lips. Zuko took a deep breath and exhaled a stream of searing hot air that ignited Katara's food. The flames died a millisecond after their birth, leaving Katara's food a charred heap of black.

"Hey!" Katara exclaimed, dropping her plate onto the table before the heat could burn her. She then extended her arms and pulled water from the pool in a stream, splashing Zuko's face and dousing him in increasingly frigid water.

"Like that's gonna do anything. News flash; I'm already wet!" Zuko sneered. The next thing he knew was that he was being tackled by the surprisingly strong Katara. Both fell into the lukewarm pool and the water became icy. Little chunks of ice formed where Katara was, hovering over her before parting to allow Katara room to rise up from the water. Zuko wasn't so lucky, the ice condensing into a thin sheet. He reached up and his hands glowed red. The ice melted and his head shot up from beneath the cool blue surface. His teeth chattered and he stared at Katara incredulously.

Katara couldn't believe what she had done either, but she recovered from the fact faster than Zuko did, sending him a particularly frosty look before she turned to swim towards the pool's edge. Because of this she was blind to the fact that Zuko was on her in moments, the heat radiating from him heating the pool until it was comfortably warm. Katara braced her hands along the pool's edge and hoisted herself up, but before she could get out Zuko's arms snaked around her hips and pulled her back, dunking them both back into the water. Katara barely had the time to squeal, let alone catch her breath, but she recovered easily enough.

She bent the water into a current to force Zuko back and bent another to lift her high over the water and drop her onto a frozen platform she had created within seconds. _These lessons with Pakku are really paying off _Katara managed to think to herself when she saw Zuko's head break the surface of the water. He shook his head to rid his hair of the access water before he looked across to Katara and growled. However the smirk on his face alerted Katara to some unknown plan he had formed during his dip.

"WATER FIGHT!" A warm and fleshy body collided with Katara's back, knocking her from her platform of ice. She barely had time to get out of the way when a stampede of teens rained down over her head. Zuko was next to her in moments, wrapping his arm around her waist and lifting her out of the water. She turned to face him and couldn't stop the appreciative smile from blooming onto her face. _He's not so bad, _she thought.

"Are you still mad at me?" Zuko asked, helping Katara from the water.

"No, but I want to be," she pouted, puffing her cheeks and dropping her eyes to his chest. Her face flushed and her eyes darted off to the side.

"Care to tell me why you were mad at me?" Zuko waited till Katara was out of the water before climbing out himself.

Katara stared at Zuko and blinked, pondering the same question. _Why am I mad at Zuko? It's not like he did anything wrong…this time. _Katara looked away. _Where are they going? _Katara's gaze focused on a small group of people travel in the opposite direction of the fun and laughter. One of which was a girl, one of Katara's classmates. She was scantily clad in her bright neon pink bathing suit, as were all, but there was something almost indecent about this girl. Not in the way that she was dressed, but in the way she smiled. She was surrounded by a small group of boys, three in all and all dressed in regular street cloths.

"Katara?" Zuko followed Katara's line of sight to the small group. His eyes narrowed at the exchanged between the four, reading their lips and finding the words spoken to be vile. He rested his hand on Katara's shoulder in silent communication, offering her piece of mind as he stood. He sauntered over the group ready to send the teenage boys away, but they dispersed before Zuko's lips could part. Zuko looked down at the girl, who bowed out of his gaze and scuttled away in embarrassment. "La!" Zuko called over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the girl.

Katara couldn't hear much else as Azula approached her brother. Whispered words were exchanged between them before all fun and games left their eyes. Zuko rose his arm and made a gesture Katara wasn't familiar with; his index and middle fingers were held up, the middle laying over the index's back. Several hard and instantly serious teens broke away from their groups and followed Azula, their expressions dark. _What's going on?_

"Hey, Katara…" Toph's voice snapped her out of her reverie, sending Katara plummeting back into self awareness.

"Yes Toph," Katara replied, turning to face the blind girl to find not only her, but Aang, Sokka and Suki as well. "Something wrong?"

"It's getting late and I have to head home," Toph explained with an embarrassed blush. She didn't want to leave, but she had to.

"We should probably head out too since we have a long train ride home." Sokka added.

"Oh…okay," Katara sighed. She turned to look behind her in hopes of finding Zuko. She wanted to let him know that she was leaving, but he wasn't there. She scanned the crowd in search of him, but his scarred face wasn't amongst the unfamiliar faces. She did find Jet and Haru however, both locked in a humorous conversation from the looks of it. Jet looked over to see her so she sent him a wave. He returned the gesture after jerking with his head so Haru would turn as well. Once her goodbye was out of the way, Katara followed her brother and friends out.

They were barely five minutes away from the house when Katara spotted the three boys again. Only this time with them was another girl. The girl was a sweet looking tween with eyes so bright with life that they could rival the stars above. She smiled at something one of the boys said, adjusting her hold on her puma kitten all the while. Her expression morphed to one of shock however when a fourth boy came from the shadows and struck her from behind.

Katara exclaimed in shock before she tore away from her friends and sprinted to the girl's aid. Katara could feel the ground beneath her feet rumble and roar as a wave of concrete undulated around her and struck one of the girl's assailants. That didn't stop the others from lifting the girl in their arms and making a run for it down the alleyway. Katara wouldn't have it. She could feel the pull of water and did not care to look for it; Katara just wrenched it from its hidden container. Water spouted from a drain a short ways ahead of her, bending to her will. Katara had it snake forward, cutting the teens off and freezing the water in seconds. Katara didn't slow her stride; she just hopped onto the ice and slid across the surface until she was close enough to the teen that had the now unconscious girl in his arms. From there, Katara jumped from the ice and rammed her body against his and knocked the girl from his arms.

"Katara!" Sokka shouted, delivering a powerful punch to the jaw of one of the teens just as more attackers streamed in from the alleyway's opening. The sound of tires screeching to a halt could be heard, but not seen. Katara whipped her head around to see her brother get struck from behind. Katara made a move to run to his aid, but she was blocked. Fortunately Suki was there, performing an aerial over two older thugs and breaking the nose of another on her way to Sokka's side. She sent Katara a brief signal to let Katara know he was fine before she pulled him onto his feet and backed him into a wall. She was a fighter. He was not. It was clear that Suki was not going to let anything happen to Sokka.

"Aang? Toph? Where are you guys!" Katara called, creating a shield around herself and the girl just as a man tried to slam his fists over the back of Katara's head.

"We're here," Toph replied, lost behind a wall of giants. Most of them were sent flying out of the alley by a funnel of wind, their bodies slamming into the walls and roadway alike. This allowed for a glimpse of the two younger benders. Toph had trapped two of the thugs under a fold of stone. Next to her was Aang, with Momo tucked into his shirt for protection. They were fairing better than Katara and the others, their genius in their bending excelling in the current circumstances.

"We need to get this girl to a hospital," Katara shouted, the girl in question starting to seize and convulse with increasing regularity and violence. Katara clutched the seizing girl in her arms, fighting to keep the girl as still as possible while at the same time protect her from further attacks.

"We're surrounded," Toph cried, pulling Aang closer to her side as a loud bang sounded.

The boom of sound echoed in the teens' craniums, making their pulse race as their bodies stilled. Desperately they prayed for thunder, but the cold chill that ran down their backs numbed their bodies with fear just the same. Another loud boom of sound, amplified by the narrow alleyway reached their ears, deafening the teens to all other sounds. Katara flinched as her ice cracked and shattered, the brick behind her head breaking from the force of the blow.

"Katara! Run!" Toph screamed, bending the earth up in hopes of creating a shield, but was forced to redirect her efforts. She could feel the searing stab of the bullet pierce the earthen shield she had risen to protect Suki from a fatal blow to her temple.

Katara watched as if everything were in slow motion, unable to move as fear seized her legs with an iron grip. Something clicked near her head. Her heart skipped a beat. The gleam of a metal barrel entered Katara's peripheral vision. Then all she saw was black as something dropped from the heavens and redirected the gun skyward just as it fired again. Katara cried out in shock and fear, dropping to the ground and covering her head as sand and small debris rained down over her head.

Her scream was echoed by another, deeper voice and a body fell to the ground. Katara looked over to see her would be shooter land a few feet away from her, the gun clattering to the floor and skittering away to be forgotten. She lifted her face, searching for the others, but the wall of men impaired her sights. She could hear them calling for her, their voices raw with emotion, but Katara couldn't speak. It was as if she didn't know how. Panic seized her heart as she struggled to find something, anything that could be used to protect both herself and the girl in her arms. She tried to pull the water from the ground, but all she got was a ripple.

"Calm down," a voice whispered, his voice carrying over the wind as Katara's savior knelt by her side. His legs were clad in black pants, loose fitting for ample movement and tucked into dark combat boots. A black hoody covered his torso and obscured his figure from view, and with the hood up Katara couldn't see anything of his face. Even if she could, the demonic blue mask he wore kept his identity safe.

* * *

*1 – In this timeline, although Azula truly does care for both Zuko and Mai. She does not approve of their relationship as compared to in the show where she encouraged it.

*2 – Fun history bit. In my fic, Jet and Mai dated in middle school and … stuff. Since the break up freshman year, they've absolutely despised each other. The hatred only grows with every time they see each other…for now.

*3 – I have absolutely no idea what the names of breakdance moves are, so if you do or if you have better luck finding a site with all the information (plus pictures) that would be really appreciated so I can fix whatever errors I made.

*4 – It's very hard to recognize voices when they're whispered.

* * *

Author's Note: I'M SO SORRY for this CRAPTASTIC chapter. I honestly only liked the last part where we get to see the modern incarnation of the blue spirit. He will get his signature dao swords later, but till then he uses what's available in the environment he's in, usually taking weapons from his opponents. I promise that the writing for this fic will improve, but I'm still in the intro stages of the fic, where the setting is being built and the last of the characters (minus Ursa, Iroh, and a few select others) are introduced. I needed to have a reason for the Gaang to be formed and get into the whole fight for justice thing, which meant the jumpy, but slow crawl so I don't leave people confused. I know I could be better, but when I came up with this story, my mind only played out the middle and the end with ease while the beginning was a bit iffy. I plan on coming back to fix up the beginning chapters to better my readers' experience (and get more fans). Anywho, sorry for the ridiculously long wait for this, and I'm even sorrier for delivering such a bad chapter.

P.S: About Katara, don't worry. She's still going to be a badass, but she's just starting out so she isn't as great as we all know she can be. The same can be said for the others. In times of peace there is little reason to fight, so they need to work to their badassery.


	4. The Blue Spirit

Author's Note: I'm so sorry I took so long in responding! I've been so busy with my college classes that I haven't had the time to work on the chapter consistently. I'm so sorry about the delay. Really I am. Well, here's the chapter in all its splendor...Sorry if it's confusing in some places. My brain isn't catching anything wrong so yeah. If I missed something or a lot of somethings I'm sorry and I'll go back to edit this chapter when I have time :). Again, sorry for the wait :).

* * *

Katara stared at the mask with a mixture of emotions, not knowing how to properly handle the presence of her hero. "Who are you?" Katara breathed, his voice striking a chord within her even though she couldn't recognize it.*

"A friend," he answered simply before he charged the group of men, leaving Katara behind to watch in wonder. In one gloved hand he held a simple dagger*, picked up from the fallen thug, and the other was curled tightly into a fist. He dropped to the ground, using his momentum so he could slide under a small group of three so that when he stood he would be surrounded completely. He utilized this fact to his advantage, disarming and disabling his opponents in a flurry of movement. It all happened so fast. One moment the thugs had the masked fighter surrounded and the next they were on the ground, tied up by a series of knotted chords and chains.

The sounds of sirens reached the ears of all in the alleyway, making it impossible for Katara to ponder anything. She just stared dumbfounded at her savior. Vaguely Katara registered the sounds of her brother and friends approach, but her eyes were only for her masked savior. The two locked eyes for an instant and the chill of familiarity shivered down her spine. Then, as if he was never there, he vanished into the shadows.

Staring in shock, Katara was oblivious to the arms that pulled her from the ground and wrapped her in a powerful hug. Her brother's voice registered, but not his words. She was pulled onto her feet, the girl in her arms removed by paramedics. Slowly she was pulled from her daze, awareness crashing down around her in an explosion of sensation. First to hit was the sounds; the sirens and the shouts, then her mind began to register faces, some familiar but most not. Katara tried to drown it out, to focus on something else but there was so much of it. She looked around desperately for a place where she could find some peace so she could finally think. What she found was Zuko.

Standing in the shadows of an alley neighboring the one everything happened in was Zuko, his arms crossed with a dark expression on his face. His amber eyes practically glowed, flashing with crimson as the red lights from the police cars flashed through them. Then he was gone, as mysteriously as her masked savior.

"Excuse me, miss?" a man called out to her, pulling Katara's attention from the dark alleyway. "I need to ask you some questions."

"Yes…of course…" Katara nodded in understanding, pulling her eyes from the alleyway. One thought filled her completely, drowning out all others: _What's he doing here?_ Katara answered the police officer's questions to the best of her capabilities and held nothing back from him. She didn't bring up Zuko's appearance however since it could mean a number of things. He was down the road from the event after all and could have stumbled onto it in the exact same fashion as they had. _Or he could be involved…_ Her subconscious added as Zuko's behavior at the party played itself over in her mind. Also, his scar was painted in stark clarity in her mind's eye. No one received scars like that without some darkness in their lives.

The questioning went smoothly and all that was left was for Katara to rejoin her friends and go home, which ate away at the time until the moon was high overhead. The group were quick to get to the train station where Sokka and Katara barely caught the final train for the night. Suki was going to be bumming a ride home with Toph and Aang, which filled the siblings with a powerful burst of relief. It didn't help that Sokka and Katara had to walk home through questionable roads with the flickering lights of the street lamps overhead when they got off. They didn't let it bother them though, Sokka taking the lead of the brisk pace they walked in.

"Are you alright?" Sokka asked over his shoulder, his grip over Katara's hand lessening only slightly when a small clump of teenage boys passed by. None made a comment, but he was still conscious of the stares and once overs they directed at his baby sister.

"I'm fine," she answered simply with her eyes downcast. In truth, she was lost in thought. The night's events turned out to be a shock to her for more reasons then one. The main reason was the girl and what had happened, as well as Zuko's involvement in the matter. It was unnerving to say the least. Even still, she didn't want to come to conclusions just yet. She needed to be sure if Zuko really was involved or if he was just there by coincidence. _If he was then why didn't he come over to check up on us? Surely he must have been curious. _

"That's good…" Sokka clearly wanted to say more, but didn't know where to start. He could feel his heart still racing a mile a minute and for a split moment back there he feared that he almost lost Katara, his dear little sister. For a brief moment, Sokka feared he would have lost her just like he lost their mom. That was something he couldn't live with and the thought sent adrenaline pumping though his veins. His limbs shook and his body was strung and ready to strike at the slightest provocation. He felt Katara's hand squeeze his in a comforting fashion, but unlike most other times he could not be calmed.

"I'm fine," Katara repeated. "I'm a tough girl, nothing's gonna beat me down." Katara flashed Sokka a smile and stole the lead from him, feeling invigorated now that the moonbeams could descend onto her unobstructed by the grey buildings. Their home wasn't far off and could just barely be seen between the first rows of houses. Their cul-de-sac wasn't that far from there and that made Katara's smile brighten. She was tired, and even though it was almost a full moon, the need for sleep was too great to deny.

Gripping her hand, Sokka took the lead and started to tug Katara into a jog. Home was so close and he could just hear his bed calling his name. He could hear Katara laughing at his excitement tiredly and that spurred him on farther and faster. She needed to go to be more then he did it seemed, which was a first. He already had his keys out when he reached the door and Sokka fumbled a bit before shoving the door wide open. "Gran! We're home!" He called into the house as he dropped his keys into the key dish. It was basically an old and ugly bowl resting on a little table by the door. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done.

When neither of them heard an answer, the two siblings just shrugged and called it a night. Katara left Sokka to lock up, grabbing a moon peach from its bowl on her way to the room. Thoughts of the night slowly inched into the forefront of Katara's mind. _What was Zuko doing there?_ She pondered as she closed the door behind her. No matter how many times she thought the question or formulated an answer she came right back to it. He didn't look as if he was all that surprised, only angry. But why was he angry? Was it because of what had happened? Was it because of what didn't happen? Or was he just angry at everything and nothing all at once? Katara didn't understand it.

Katara stripped down to nothing before walking over to her bed where her pajamas had been stashed. A silly little smiley face was plastered over the front of the simple white tank top and the shorts that were so short they could count as underwear were covered in randomly colored dots. It was old, but it was one of the most comfortable pajama sets she had. Katara loved it and would wear it as often as she could. Normally, the outfit would make Katara giddy with the childishness of it, but not that night. Looking out her window to see the pale moon Katara's thoughts returned to Zuko and darkened. Something just wasn't right about him, she just couldn't place what.

* * *

Katara awake with a jolt to the sound of sirens screeching past her window. As if pulled away by a quick hand, the thick haze of slumber was lifted from Katara's mind. She searched around her room for any sign of danger before she tossed the thick coverlet from her form and climbed out of bed. Frigid cold shot up through Katara's feet and through her legs, but she paid it no mind. She left her room in a rush, not even bothering to make herself decent in her pursuit to slake her curiosity.

There were no sounds of stirring from either her Gran-gran's room or Sokka's, but Katara was expecting that. Gran-gran was old and her slumber was deep. Sokka on the other hand, even though he was an average sleeper, usually didn't care enough to wake up and investigate any strange noises that would awaken any other normal sleeper. Katara rolled her eyes at this and made her way out the front door without so much as a hitch.

A wall of light and sound greeted Katara, simultaneously stunning and blinding her for a moment in time. Black spots danced in front of Katara's eyes and all she could do was blink them away. Slowly images became clear and she could see a large collection of police cars in front of one of her distant neighbor's house. Katara didn't know who the neighbor was, but the woman's shrieks rivaled the blaring wails of the sirens. Something was the matter, but Katara couldn't tell what. She needed to get closer.

"What the hell are you doing?" a familiar voice called out to her just as Katara made her way across the lawn, making Katara groan and turn in time to see Zuko a few feet away from her, dressed in a black t-shirt that had seen better days and matching pajama pants. "You should go back inside," he continued once their eyes met.

In the harsh red and blue lights, Katara felt her heart skip a beat. In her minds eye she could see his body flanked by flames of various intensities, ranging from the smoldering red to the searing white. Electricity cackled and the echo of thunder boomed in her ears. Wicked laughter grew in volume as lightning flashed overhead, adding to the severity and making the harshness of Zuko's scars intensify. Katara gulped and shook her head in hopes of ridding herself of the image. _That was weird…_ she thought as she sent Zuko a particularly frosty look.

"You heard me, right?" he questioned, approaching Katara with harsh and quick steps.

Katara remained mute, turning to face the scene that had awoken her instead. A chilly wind blew passed, carrying with it the smells of the city and the underlying scent of smoke and sandalwood that would forever be part of Caldera City. Katara took deep lungfuls of it, allowing the night to invigorate her even as her body shivered from cold. The flimsy short shorts and even flimsier tank top did nothing to shield Katara's body as an even stronger gust of wind howled passed, adding a new scent to the mix; the scent of blood.

"Katara?" Zuko called again, finally next to her. He looked over to the scene and back at the young waterbender nervously. Something wasn't right about the house, or the woman. The police knew it, as did he, but Katara was oblivious to what went on in the city at night; of what went on in their neighborhood at night. "You should really go inside," Zuko pressed, his voice softer, but more urgent in tone.

"What's going on?" Katara asked as she shivered, straining to see beyond the lights in hopes of learning what all the chaos was about.

Before Zuko could answer, a loud bang and a man's cry of pain was heard. Without further thought, Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara and pulled her to the ground just as several more bangs could be heard. Chaos followed the sound as a stampede of police officers stormed the house, pushing the woman aside in either her defense or to get her out of the way. Zuko cursed under his breath and stood, lifting Katara up and dragging her away into his house just as the glare of orange was added to the blinding lights that filled the night. Behind him he could feel the ground shake as several more loud bangs echoed.

"What's going on?" Katara demanded, unable to fight against Zuko's firm grip around her. Even if she could fight, Katara didn't think she would. She was scared, and he knew what he was doing. _That was gunfire...what's going on?_ Katara didn't relax or take her eyes off of Zuko even after the door was sealed shut. "Answer me Zuko!"

"I don't know," Zuko growled, glaring at the door as he backed Katara away from it. "It's either a drug bust, or some other raid." Zuko didn't look at Katara as he spoke, more concerned with the flimsy wooden door that served as their only true defense against the outside. He could still feel the tremors of the earth beneath his feet, but he did not fear for the house, just for those that worked beyond it. The house may have been constructed with earth and firebenders in mind, but human bodies were not. As of now, Zuko didn't know who's side had the benders or who's side was even winning, but with Katara there he could not find out or lend a helping hand.

"How can you be so sure?" Katara whimpered when a long succession of bangs and booms met her ears.

"I'm sorry to say but it's almost a regular occurrence in these parts," Zuko sighed, finally turning from the door to see how Katara was faring. All color had drained from Katara's face and she trembled like a scared animal in the corner. She was not used to such sounds, but there was another underlying trauma in her eyes, one that prompted Zuko to go over to her. "Are you alright?"

"…I…" a high pitched ringing cut her off, startling the two before Katara realized where the sound and following vibrations were coming from. She pulled her phone from the lone pocket in her shorts and snapped the lavender contraption by the fifth ring.

"Katara, where are you?" Sokka's voice demanded, panic thick in his voice.

"I'm next door," Katara replied, feeling the tension in her body halve within moments upon hearing her brother's voice. This left her legs weak and Katara slid down the wall onto the ground. The adrenaline was siphoning out of her leaving her weak and frail. Nightmares and harsh memories spiraled within her mind, but her brother's voice made it all dim to a smoky haze.

"What are you doing there? Don't answer that, I'm coming to get you." Sokka exclaimed. The sound of movement and creaking springs alerted Katara to his hasty movements, and it warmed Katara's heart to know that he would risk outside for her sake. Even so, she could not risk him for something so trivial as her being scared. She was safe, so was he. There was nothing that needed to be done beyond that.

"No, don't." Katara said after a moment of thought. "I'm fine. I ran into a classmate and they pulled me inside when everything started to happen. I'm safe. Watch over Gran-gran and let her know where I am, okay?" Katara requested. She did not want for her family to worry. They had enough to think about as is, there was no point in adding more worries.

"…is you're classmate a bender?" Sokka questioned after a short pause. There was an edge in his voice, but she did not allow it to concern her. His fear was plain and that was it.

"Yes, a firebender." Katara answered.

"Good. Try and stay near water, okay sis?" He was still worried, but he was relenting to the fact that there was no need to go and get her. Katara was probably safer where she was then if she were home anyway. The sound of doors creaking met Katara's ears, letting her know that Sokka was wandering around the house. He was probably on the way to Gran-gran's room. He most likely wouldn't wake her up, just watch over her to make sure she was fine given her old age.

"I will." Katara promised with a sigh. She folded her legs up to her chest solemnly.

"Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?" Another pause. More sounds. Katara could paint a picture in her head as to what Sokka was doing. Right about now he'd be leaning against Gran-gran's door with thoughts of going after her anyway circling his head. In his hand would be an old switchblade their father had given him that was being flicked open and closed. His eyes would be closed to block out all other sensations so his focus could be only on his cell. He'd probably also have his brow furrowed as different possibilities raced through his mind. It was such a comforting thought that Katara found herself craving his presence. He was her big brother and he always made Katara feel safe even when she was mad at him.

"…No, I'll be fine. But I'll call you in half an hour to check in if I'm not home by then." Katara may want to run to him, as she'd always done when she was little, but she was a big girl now. She needed to be able to handle this on her own. She got into this mess on her own so it would only be fair that she could get out of it on her own too. But then again, she had Zuko in Sokka's stead. Part of Katara wondered if the trade was a better one or a step in the wrong direction.

"See that you do. Take care sis." The anxiety was still clear in his voice, but Katara could tell that Sokka trusted her enough to let her stay, even in their current situation. Katara didn't hang up until the line went dead, signifying that Sokka had hung up. Still she wondered if she made the right choice. She was sure that Sokka could get to her safely and get her back home just as quickly. So in all honesty, why did she stay? Was it really because she didn't want Sokka to get her out of trouble again? Katara wasn't so sure. However, it was the only reason she could come up with. It wouldn't be fair to Sokka.

All the while, Zuko watched Katara for any signs of fear or panic. It had diminished considerably from the moment Katara answered the phone, but it was still there. Katara was putting up a front, one that was quite admirable given the current events. Were she anyone else, Zuko would have liked her all the more for it. But she wasn't someone else; she was Katara, the annoying waterbender that got under his skin. "Are you alright?" he found himself asking suddenly.

"I'll feel better if I knew what was going on." Katara admitted, her eyes committing the house to memory. She didn't know how to handle the fact that she was alone inside Zuko's house. She'd never been inside before, at least never beyond the garage. She was never welcomed in. The sounds that often came from within was incentive enough not to want to go in. There was rarely a time when it was just Zuko inside the house. Mai was a frequent visitor during the day hours and at night he either wasn't there or he was on his own. Every now and again a party was held at his house. Katara had heard three since the move. She'd never been invited to those, but Katara wouldn't want to go either way. The more she thought about it, the further it sank in that she was alone with Zuko in his house. There wasn't another soul in sight. No parents. No siblings. No roommates. It was just Zuko.

"When did you get back?" she blurted in her need to alleviate the sudden awkwardness.

"Excuse me?" Zuko coughed.

"From the party I mean…" she clarified, bracing her hands against the wall behind her and leaning against them. She stared down at her toes as the night's earlier suspicions returned to her full force.

"Two, maybe three hours ago." Zuko narrowed his eyes darkly and crossed his arms. He leaned his hip against the kitchen counter and watched Katara with sharp eyes. He suspected that she had seen him in the alleyway earlier that night when he was making sure the girl got the help she needed. He only wished he could have gotten to her earlier and prevented the fight altogether. He was grateful he could protect Katara and her friends, but at the same time he was displeased by their presence. They shouldn't have been involved in the mess. They could have gotten hurt or worse; especially Katara and that Suki girl. The two fit the profile of all the girls that went missing in that part of the city. The little blind earthbender was no safer if the night's events were anything to go by. The thought still angered him.

"I see…did you hear about what had happened?" Katara continued, unsure what to ask in order to get more information without tipping him off to her ulterior motives.

"I did…" Weighing his options, Zuko walked over into the living room and claimed the couch as his seat. He sat on the middle cushion and stretched his arms out over the back of it. He looked over his shoulder and gestured for Katara to join him. "The house that everything is going down at, that's next door to her place." Zuko explained as he watched Katara circle around the sofa and seat herself daintily onto the loveseat adjacent from him. He watched her closely and took in her nervous continence and the widening of her eyes. She tried to school her features, but he could see right through the mask.

"Then…then why are they…?" Katara didn't understand it. Why would the police be there? Why would they be in a fight with the home's occupants?

"Your guess is as good as mine," Zuko sighed before his eyes narrowed. _Though there's no question if Red Siren is involved. Looks like the drug is getting into homes now. _Zuko cursed his luck. If only Katara wasn't there. He would be able to sneak around and find out for sure what exactly was going on. Was there a den distributing the drug in that house? Was one of the surviving victims there? The drug did mess with the heads of its users.

"What did they give that girl?" Katara pressed.

"Red Siren, it's a new and dangerous drug." Zuko leaned forward so he could rest his elbows on his knees. He laced his fingers together and rested his brow against them. The drug, Red Siren, was the bane of his existence.

"What does it do?" Katara stammered as she tried to steady the tremor in her voice. The very thought of drugs and their illegal use unnerved her, but to hear about a dangerous one being forced onto people was a terrifying concept.

"What doesn't it do?" Zuko snorted. His lip tugged into a dark smile that knew no mirth. The results of the drug were too varied to predict and pin down but one of the few common side effect was born from giving the drug to non-benders. "It gives the user unpredictable gifts before making them a bender."

"What do you mean?" Katara breathed, her body shaking in dismay. She didn't want to know. Why did she ask? She really didn't want to know anymore.

"It can make you strong. It can make you smart. It can increase your libido and your stamina. It can rid you of all pain. It can help you reach incredible highs and lows. It can be a psychedelic. It can be anything. It never reacts the same way, even within the same person. One day it can calm you down and the next it'll speed you up. That always changes. But one thing that never does is the fact that non-benders can become benders for a short time. The more they use it, the longer the time…then they're filled with rage and go insane before eventually their entire body fails and they die, usually very painfully. That is…if the drug doesn't get you killed first."

The girl from earlier that night, she started suffering from epileptic seizures and her blood was thinning at an exponential rate. It was too soon to know if she would start bending for a short time or not, but Zuko had his suspicions that by the morning she would have a taste of it. The girl before that he was able to save during the summer had her heart and lungs fail her before she became a fire bender. She'd been institutionalized. Then there was one that he couldn't save, she bled out without a single wound being inflicted on her. Zuko still had nightmares.

"If it kills you, why would people want it?" Katara found herself asking. She drew her knees up to her chest and curled into a ball as a fearful shiver ran down her spine. It was possible that that's exactly what had happened outside. Someone may have gone insane because of the drug and with new found bending powers that they don't know how to control… the combination was a dangerous one.

"Think about it." Zuko offered as he leaned back against his couch again. "Near inhuman strength, computer fast thought processes and absorption, the ability to fight and fuck without feeling tired or strained. Then there's the chance of becoming a bender thrown into the mix. Who wouldn't want that? Then there's the chronic stupidity of human beings; the one where everyone thinks that the bad things won't happen to them." _I need a drink._ Zuko stood from his couch and walked over to the kitchen in long strides. He kept Katara in his peripherals at all times, taking in her reaction to all he'd just said and filing it away for later analysis. He pulled a beer from the fridge for himself and a bottle of juice for Katara. He didn't ask if she wanted it because he knew she'd deny it even if she did.

"If people want it so much then why was it forced into that girl tonight?" Katara didn't want to believe that people were so quick to forget all reason for the sake of feeling good. It just wasn't right. It couldn't be right. People did not do that…did they? Katara didn't want to see the darkness within humans. She wanted to believe that everyone was a good person at heart that went about their own lives. Bad people existed, Yue knew Katara had seen her fair share of bad people. But with that being said the bad were outnumbered by the good. Katara had to believe that. But what Zuko was saying cast a shadow on that delusion that Katara so desperately clung to.

"Because it's also a date rape drug that vacates all the user's inhibitions." Zuko replied as he handed the bottle to Katara. She accepted it hesitantly with a low word of thanks and in that moment he realized just how fragile she looked in that moment. She was scared and anxious. His lingering fingers on the bottle grasped the cap and twisted it open before Katara could do the act herself, claiming the cap and dropping it onto the coffee table. She needed to take her mind off of everything and rest; after the night she had it would be the best choice she could make.

"You know a lot about this drug." Katara breathed.

"There isn't a person here that doesn't." Though it was true; Zuko did know a lot about the drug. He made it a point to know because he felt, at least in some part, responsible for it. It was all he could do to thwart as many attacks as he could whenever he passed by. Sometimes he'd win. Other times he would lose. "The drug has ruined the lives of many in this city, only the stupid go on living without knowing at lease the basics." _Which you are no longer. You need to know how dangerous that drug is._

"I wish I would have known that before applying to the school," Katara admitted. She lifted the bottle to her lips and downed the contents in one go. She needed the distraction from the intensity of Zuko's gaze.

"Why did you apply? I realize that it's well outside your demographic if you don't mind my saying." Zuko pulled the remote from beneath one of the couch cushions and turned the television on. The chaos outside was growing in volume as the fight moved onto the streets. He prayed she didn't hear it or that she was too withdrawn into herself to fully comprehend what was going on. Unfortunately his actions were too little too late. Katara had sprung onto her feet and was already racing towards the door just as her phone had started to ring. The annoying ditty was coming from the coffee table where she left it and like an idiot Zuko answered.

"Kat!" her brother's voice cried before Zuko could get a word in. "Are you alright?"

Zuko barked a fowl expletive. "You're sister's an idiot." Zuko found himself saying as he ran after Katara. "I'll have her call you as soon as I grab her." Zuko barked before tossing the phone back into the house without a care as to what happened to it the moment it left his hand. He slammed the door shut behind him and skidded to a halt on the front driveway. An entire wall of stone had risen from the ground to split the cul-de-sac in two, cutting the circle of houses off from the rest of that street.

"Katara!" Zuko called, just as an explosion of fire struck the wall of stone. It took him a moment, but Katara's lithe figure entered his line of sight. She was highlighted by the near searing white flames with her hair billowing around her form. She had her arms crossed over her face to protect her from the next plume of flames that erupted. She pulled water from an opened fire hydrant and created a shield of ice instinctively. That was when he acted, taking control of the nearest flames and diminishing them to embers. Zuko was by her side in moments as the hum of familiarity filled him with something that he could not comprehend or understand, he could only compare it to what he experienced earlier that night. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Katara coughed, dropping her ice shield and making the water glide through the air like a serpent. She extinguished the rogue flames and cleared enough of the smoke to make the surroundings increasingly visible. There was a boy standing in the middle of the road, surrounded by police officers both armed and not. Of the benders there, all were either fire or air and ill prepared for the newly awakened earthbender.

The boy had a crazed look in his eyes as blood dripped from his eyes and nose. His movements were jerky and every step he took was met with a whimper. He twitched and the earth beneath their feet rumbled. A house fell to the ground due to the stress of the constant rise and fall of asphalt, split in two by the wall that had been created.

"Katara, get back." Zuko ordered, placing himself between Katara and the ring of men that circled the boy.

"There are people hurt over there," she pointed, ignoring Zuko's command in order to skirt around the fight and run over to two individuals that were laying face down on the ground. They were breathing and that was all Katara needed to know. "I can't leave them."

"Damnit Katara!" Zuko barked. He made a move to give chase, but was cut off by the shaking of the ground which had become more violent as the boy became increasingly agitated. It took him only a moment, but Zuko charged at the wall just as the ground split open. Running up along the wall, Zuko used his new height to jump onto a lamp post that was still standing and swing down over in front of Katara.

Undeterred, Katara managed to avoid crashing into Zuko's form and ran over to the two unconscious individuals. It was a mother and child, both buried under rubble. The mother had used her body as a shield to protect her child, taking most of the damage onto her own body as her son lay prone beneath her. "Are you alright?" Katara asked of them as she dropped to her knees. Her words weren't answered, but Katara didn't think they would be. She didn't wait. She started pushing and pulling at the debris that held the two down.

"Katara!" Zuko cried as another explosion sounded. He dropped to his knees behind her before wrapping his arms around her. Before Katara could make a sound of complaint, Zuko shoved her to the ground and used his own body as a shield to protect her as a roar of flames sailed over them. He didn't rise till Zuko was sure it was safe and even then he maintained his hold over Katara. The area was dangerous, but Katara was right. The family needed to be helped. Zuko needed to think fast if he was going to save the mother and son as well as keep Katara safe. Zuko looked around the vicinity quickly, searching for anything that could be used as a safe haven from the fight going on around them. With the earthen wall in the way, they were cut off from the squads of cop cars and ambulances, but even then that shouldn't mean they were without safety. The earthen wall was weak and with many holes and low rises. It could be climbed.

"Let's hurry. I think we can get them to one of the ambulances if we try." Zuko told Katara as he finally let go of her. With his added strength, the debris was removed and Zuko was able to lift the mother onto his back. "Grab the boy and follow me."

Katara nodded as she lifted the child and secured him to her back. Fortunately the boy was small and did not weigh much, but Katara feared for the affect the older woman's weight would have on Zuko's ability to navigate through this warzone. "Will you be okay?" She shouted, her voice carrying over the din surrounding them.

"I'll be fine. Let's go." Zuko took off running as if the woman on his back weighed nothing. His steps were sure and graceful as they ghosted over the shaking surface of the ground. He could hear Katara follow close behind him, her footsteps a light echo in his ears. They followed the wall the earthbender had created all the way to the end, occasionally dropping to the ground when the flames of the firebenders overflowed to their side of the wall. Things were getting increasingly heated and the wall began to quiver and flux in size and height. The asphalt groaned and cracked under the pressure and pipes burst beneath the ground. One such burst pipe resulted in a geyser of water erupting a few feet ahead of Zuko and Katara.

Katara didn't know if it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins or some hidden strength that had previously been locked away within her, but she took control of the water readily given to her. Katara took the lead and seized it, forcing it to create a pathway that would take them up and above the fight going on. She hardened it to ice and snow so that they could run over it with minimal slipping.

"Sweetness…" Zuko smirked as he passed her, finding it necessary to pay the waterbender a compliment even with the situation as it stood. It was well worth it to see Katara blush, and the roguish smirk grew to be a permanent fixture on his face as he ran. Something about working alongside Katara like this felt so…nostalgic. It felt amazing. It felt right. Zuko didn't know why, but he didn't question it. With each step he took, the ground fell farther and farther away from them as he and Katara ascended high over the ground with the aid of the frozen bridge. In the corner of his eye Zuko could see a few of the police cars had been destroyed or flipped, but several remained and even more were speeding towards them from afar. There were three ambulances as well. One of which was far enough from the combat to remain steady on the road. That was their target.

"We have to hurry up, the ice is melting because of the heat and I can't keep it frozen for too long." Katara cried as part of her bridge crumbled away behind her due to another burst of heat. Katara was forced to jump ahead, which resulted in her sliding forward and almost off of the bridge. Zuko's arm caught hers to steady her, and in that moment all Katara could see was him.

"We'll make it," Zuko assured her before he continued forward, not letting go of Katara's hand. The end of the bridge was in sight and with it was a downwards slope that would speed them along. Zuko didn't slow down. He ran for the slope and slid down once Katara was tucked under his arm and the mother he held was safe in his other. He used his own body as a cushion against the ice, fighting back a cry of discomfort when the frigid coldness bit into his skin and numbed his body to a point where he was almost rendered useless. It didn't matter because the paramedics were already running towards them with stretchers.

Katara sighed her relief and leaned against Zuko fully, exhausted and unable to hold herself up anymore. The adrenaline left her in a rush and Katara felt her world spin out of whack. She was not used to such things as the night and it had taken a lot out of her. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut and Katara lacked the strength to open them back up again. Even if she did, Katara didn't think she really wanted to. Besides, Zuko was so very warm and comfortable. Katara might as well enjoy his embrace while it lasted. _He's not so bad I guess…_

* * *

Katara awoke with a start, dropping from the unfamiliar but exceedingly comfortable bed with a loud yelp. Checking her surroundings, Katara struggled valiantly to remember where she was and how she got there. The room was alight from the rays of the sun that filtered in through the opened blinds of the window. It took a while, but the grogginess lifted and Katara blushed with embarrassment when she realized exactly whose room she was in. She grumbled several unpleasant terms and phrases as she climbed to her feet. She took another look around, finding her uniform on the nightstand and an open door that led to the room's bathroom.

_I don't remember coming back to Zuko's place…_Katara thought as she went over her clearing memories. _What happened last night after we helped that family? _Katara didn't really care though since the family was safe. That's all that mattered and she was in desperate need of a bath, not because she was dirty, but because she needed to feel her element if she wanted to survive the day. She could already tell it was going to be one of _**those**_ days and Katara really wished that she didn't have school to go to. _It's not like I could stay home. I need to get away from this place anyway._ Grabbing her things, Katara made her way into the bathroom, locking the bedroom door and both the bathroom doors. She couldn't be too sure since she was in a boy's house. Katara remembered her brother telling her that all boys were perverts in some way and she shouldn't be too trusting with them.

_This is definitely a guy's bathroom, _Katara cringed as she started to strip. _It's cleaner than most, but it still belongs to a guy. _She gave the dirty hamper in the corner a suspicious glance, lifting some of the clothes she found on the floor with her toes before dropping them onto the overflowing pile. The very thought of dealing with his dirty clothing was disgusting. The articles did belong to Zuko after all. He was repulsive and suspicious…and he protected her the previous night, helped that poor mother and child, carried her to safety when she lost consciousness, let her fall asleep in his home, and lay claim to his bed. He couldn't be all that bad, but at the same time… _He's really not so bad. He did help me and that family. What bad person would do that? But then again…he was too…used to the situation. He wasn't panicked or anything. It was almost as if he excelled in situations like that. That's not normal. _

Katara shook her head to rid herself of the thought. Zuko was probably in the other room and it would do her absolutely no good to be suspicious of him now. But she couldn't help it. The night before played itself over and over in her minds eye and all Katara could think was why. Why was he there and didn't help the first time, but the second time something happened he was? Why didn't he help the first time when he clearly could have? Did he only help the second time because he had no choice to? Did he even care about what happened to the girl? If so, then why did he stick around? Why? Why? Why? Katara didn't understand it. Why was Zuko so mean and condescending to her one minute, then caring the next? Why was he so…why was he so confusing? Why was he twisting her up in knots every time Katara thought about him? Why?

_Stop thinking about it!_ Katara commanded of herself as she stripped for her shower. Asking herself questions she clearly didn't know the answers to was getting her nowhere. She could ask Zuko when she saw him. He was in the other room after all. _I'll ask him when I get out. _ With that thought in mind, Katara sped through her shower in record time and was dressed for class. She didn't even bother with her hair, leaving it wet and loose, Katara left the bathroom and made her way out to the house's main room, where she found a very perturbed Mai and no Zuko.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" was the first thing out of Mai's mouth as she sat on the counter. Mai's long and slender legs crossed and her foot twitched with agitation.

"I…I don't know what you mean…" Katara stammered, finding her own feet particularly eye catching in that moment. Katara didn't know how to react to the frigid Mai, who was Zuko's girlfriend and had all the reason to be jealous or angry. Katara did stay the night at Zuko's place, and even though nothing happened she and Mai only knew each other in passing due to the distance between hers and Zuko's homes. Mai had every right to be suspicious of her. But even so, Katara did nothing wrong. With the chaos that happened outside Zuko probably took her back to his place because it wasn't safe to go back home. The earthbender's wall was immediately between their houses and it was the highest point of the wall.

"Don't play coy with me little girl. You wouldn't be the first to try and steal what is mine." Mai's voice was cold and steady, devoid of emotion even as the rage in her eyes betrayed her.

"You misunderstand. I did not mean to – "

"Road's clear." Zuko interrupted as he walked back into the house. He walked over to Mai without giving Katara so much as a glance before he sealed his lips against Mai's in a heated kiss.

Katara felt as if her heart was being gripped by a steely hand, its talons slicing through her without care or mercy. But why though? Why would she feel this way? Turning away, Katara looked out the front door that Zuko left open. The road had been restored, and the ground had been returned to its original level. The grass had been replaced and the fallen house had already been cleared. Since the houses were built with firebenders in mind, only a few scorch marks could be seen to remind the view of the previous night's events. Katara couldn't believe it. Everything had been restored so quickly. She didn't even realize…but then, she was so sound asleep that Zuko was able to carry her into his room, tuck her in and still go in and out to make sure she had everything she needed for the day.

"Ready to go?" Zuko asked her, his voice cold and distant as it usually would be.

Katara blinked several times before she eased back into her normal routine of insult flinging with Zuko. Last night was an anomaly and it would be treated as such. "Aren't I always ready? It's you that always seems to slow everything down." Katara replied snootily as she flipped her damp hair over her shoulder. She could feel the cold wetness soak into her shirt, its frigidness spreading over the front and back of her shirt while droplets of water trailed down her neck and back. Katara almost shivered. Almost. She wouldn't allow for Zuko to see her react negatively to anything.

"Good to hear." Zuko's words were slow to come in comparison to his usual quickness. His eyes had been distracted by a particular bead of cold water that crawled lazily down the slope of Katara's neck. The white of her school shirt was damp from Katara's hair and was made shear to reveal the generous mounds of Katara's breasts. Not so much that Zuko could see them vividly, but enough for Zuko to feel the heat build in his belly. Then the sight had been blocked from view as Katara's black blazer was pulled on and buttoned up.

"What's the hold up?" Katara questioned obliviously as she finished dressing. She was running her fingers through her wet hair in an attempt to find some order and a hairstyle for the day. This time she did shiver when the droplets rained down over her neck and back some more. Still she worked and played with her hair until she was able to twist and pull it into an intricate partial bun that left most of her hair loose, but off of her neck. "Got a pen?"

Zuko blinked before pulling one from the breast pocket of his shirt. He didn't have a reason to deny her. Also, his curiosity wanted to know what Katara could possibly do with a pen. His answer came when Katara pinched the bun she made and secured it with the pen given. "So…ready to go?" Zuko inquired with his voice deeper then intended. It almost came out as a growl. Zuko coughed to cover it up since Mai knew what that voice was and Zuko knew his ass was going to be handed to him for staring so blatantly at Katara. "Meet you at the car."

* * *

*1 – I know the Blue Spirit doesn't talk, but for Katara he's making an exception. He's currently using the "batman voice" to keep his identity safe. (The batman voice is when he intentionally deepens it to lessen the likelihood of being identified)

*2 – Zuko does not have his signature Dao swords…yet, so as of now he just uses what's available to him and when nothing presents itself he's a very skilled street fighter.

* * *

Author's Note: It's finally done! Again, I'm so sorry for making you all wait.

Anyway, how did you like the chapter? I wanted to make Katara confused and unsure about Zuko. Is he a hero or is he someone to be suspicious of? He jumps back and forth between dark and untrustworthy behavior and the person we all know he really is. Also, what do you think of Red Siren? The drug is very important so you might want to pay attention to it's developement ;p.


	5. Seeing Red

Author's Note: You know the trouble I went through just to post on fanfiction? There were places with free wifi that didn't let me get online at all! Well, here it is! Hope the quality has improved and you like it. RnR!

* * *

Katara didn't know what it was, but something was definitely off about Zuko that morning. Suspicions about the drama of the weekend hung fresh in her mind, painting a fractured portrait that she just didn't know how to take. First it was the attempted kidnapping. Zuko was there, watching from the shadows. His eyes were alight with emotions, ranging the full spectrum of rage and malice. His body was as rigid as a statue, with no sign of moving for the girl's rescue or the aid of Katara and her friends. That image was as frightening as it was suspicious. But then, to counterbalance that one, there was the image of Zuko helping her rescue victims of a police raid. His eyes didn't lie then either, revealing the true need to protect even as his face was set in a stoic mask. His only priority then was to keep her and the ones nearly lost safe. That night, he was a hero whereas the first he was a cold observer in a crime. The two images clashed violently in Katara's head, leaving her confused and without any real end to the questions chasing their own tails.

Was Zuko kind, or was he vicious? Katara was an accidental witness to the puzzle that was Zuko. Try as she might to piece him together, pieces keep vanishing completely or changing into something else entirely. Try as she might to tell herself to back away, Katara kept returning to the conundrum that was currently driving the car with a white knuckle grip. Katara didn't like being suspicious, especially with Sunday's act of heroism glaring in stark contrast to everything else. Still, her mind continued to wander. It was the silence. If Zuko would only play his music, then maybe Katara's mind would rest and focus on the sound. Noise was good; it distracted her from the questions that had Katara going in circles. Cerulean eyes darted from her window to seek Zuko's eyes through the rear viewing mirror.

The firebender could feel eyes on him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Though he tried to keep his eyes focused on the winding road before him, the heat of someone's gaze drew his eyes upwards. He found Katara staring at him intently through the reflection of the mirror. Her gaze was focused on him, making Zuko both nervous and curious. He didn't particularly like the feeling of anxiousness, but with how intently Katara was staring at him, he couldn't help but feel as if she was piecing something together about him that he didn't want for her to know. Zuko turned his eyes back to the road and steeled himself for another round of playful banter, knowing that it would distract Katara from whatever it was she was coming to realize. "See something you like?" Zuko inquired, forcing his lips to curve upwards in a smirk. The fist that gripped his steering wheel relaxed somewhat, but only a fraction as Zuko navigated through one of the city's back roads.

"Is your stereo system not working or something?" Katara inquired, not wanting to sound like anything other than the snot nosed brat Zuko had come to know her as. Her many questions about Zuko remained at the forefront of her mind, but Katara was able to push them aside for what had come to be their morning routine. Maybe it was the lack of conversation that was setting her on edge?

Chuckling, Zuko eased the car to a stop as the yellow light turned red. With the car stopped, Zuko was able to lock his eyes with Katara's again, engaging her in a stare down of sorts. "Or something." He allowed his eyes to dart from the rearview to grace Mai for a fraction of a second before returning. Mai was in one of her moods, and thus their kind of music wouldn't be appreciated.

"Oh." That would explain why Zuko, who was very much into music, would drive in silence. Still, Mai should have gotten over one of her rare moods already. Music would be good. Katara said nothing more in regards to the matter, deciding to just pout up at the mirror with the hopes that Zuko would do as she desired. There was no last minute homework to do, or conversations to be had within the car or through her mobile phone. Nothing presented itself as a distraction from questions better left unexpressed. Still, engaging in the not-really-staring contest with Zuko was somewhat entertaining. Every few seconds his eyes would leave the road to glance up in the mirror, and in those moments Katara made sure her expression was that of a frigid ice princess.

Though he knew that this special treatment was solely for the purpose of annoying him, Zuko figured that it would probably be best to ignore Katara's glaring puppy dog eyes. It was easy to see that she was stuck on something, but Zuko wasn't curious enough yet to risk Mai's wrath and bait it out of the girl. Mai was already going to give him hell once they were alone because he allowed for Katara to stay the night at his house. Zuko knew treading lightly was the only way he was going to survive to the end of the day when issues could be resolved. Also, in asking, he might give away more than he was willing. Best to wait it out until he knew for sure what it was that Katara was pondering. Till then, "I'm going to be leaving class early today, will you need me to come back and pick the both of you up?"

"Why are you leaving school so early?" Even with his personality painting the portrait of a delinquent, Zuko was always present at school. He never left early, and he was never late. Katara assumed that it was mostly in part to the fact that Zuko was a worry wart and wanted to make sure she, and sometimes Mai, got to school safe and were returned home in the same condition. She didn't know why Zuko felt compelled to be their chauffer, but Katara was secretly grateful to it. To not have him take her home was a bit mind numbing. Katara knew she could always call Sokka to come get her, given the city's mandatory buddy system for minors, but this change in routine was more than a little strange. In that moment, Katara knew that her entire day was going to be thrown off kilter.

He could see Katara's mind working a mile a minute, trying to figure out the why's and the how's. But, there were some things that outranked getting Katara to and from school on his list of priorities. There weren't many, given the times, but the few were far too important regardless. "I have to take my baby sis to her physical therapy this week," Zuko answered simply.

That was more than reason enough in Katara's eyes. Family always comes first. What's more, she didn't want Zuko to feel as if he had to choose between her and his sister. As a sibling herself, she understood where friends and acquaintances came second. "Oh. You don't need to come back. I have after hour training with Sifu Pakku and don't want to inconvenience you." Katara gave Zuko one of her assuring smiles, letting him know that she could figure something else out.

"More than you already have?" Katara's smile fell at Mai's words. More than anything, Katara looked somewhat like a kicked moose-lion cub. That was uncalled for.

"Mai!" Zuko barked, shocked that Mai would say such a thing. When Mai spoke, she was honest and to the point, even with all the secrets she kept. Even so, she had more tact than that. Zuko assumed she had more … as well, but apparently she was more bothered by finding Katara in his home than he thought. Possessive was not one of Mai's personality traits, so this was more than a little surprising to Zuko, who had previously thought Mai didn't care if he had wandering eyes or not. He was faithful, but Mai had told him many times that she didn't what he did so long as he came back to her in the end. If it were anyone else but Katara, who Zuko viewed as innocent and in need of protecting, he would feel almost elated to know that Mai was starting to care more openly. But since it was, Zuko was torn.

"What? I'm just pointing out the obvious." Did neither of them see it? Mai didn't much care either way, but felt an unfathomable annoyance at the simple sight of Katara. To see her in Zuko's house, with him giving Katara lusty eyes, it made Mai's blood boil. Never before had she felt such an emotion, but she knew what it was. She may not like it, but Mai was jealous. The young woman didn't even understand why with such a long history between them showing that she really didn't care. In the beginning when they were just fooling around, Mai didn't care if Zuko slept with someone else or not. But now, it was different. Now it was Katara instead of some faceless, nameless bimbo. It was as unnerving as it was bizarre.

"Yeah," Katara's voice trailed off while her eyes simply just stared at Mai. Was her getting rides from Zuko every morning a bother? Katara didn't think so at first, given the situation surrounding their routine. But then, Mai very rarely voiced her opinion, and when she did it was always in a monotone, passive aggressive way. Katara didn't know what to think of it, so she chose to categorize this bit of drama for later thought. Now, Katara would only focus on the one thing. "I'll be fine."

"Call me if anything, alright? Coming to get you won't be too big of a deal, but I will be late getting you home." He was waiting for a magical sentence to form on Katara's lips so that he'd feel better. She knew what it was, and was probably waiting for him to ask it simply so that she could give him a snarky response.

"You're doing that thing again. We've talked about this." Most of the time, Katara would be insulted by the way Zuko fretted over her. He treated her as if she were some little princess who would be snatched away the moment he turned his eyes off of her. He probably wanted her to offer up calling her brother for a ride, which in turn would make him relax. But, Katara wasn't too keen on doing so just yet. It was a great way out of the way for Sokka to go and get her, his school zone placing him in the opposite direction of her school. Katara would, if no other option was forthcoming. She was no fool. But, Sokka would be a last resort.

Zuko's worries fled his face and left behind a boyish laugh that was startling to the silence, but far from unwelcomed. "Right. Right. You're a big girl and can take of yourself, I know. But you're also a bumpkin not used to the city. Yell at me all you want for being a quote, end quote, chauvinist. I'm still going to worry since you attract trouble like flies to honey." To date, Zuko had a ten page long list of incidents both known and unknown by the waterbender involving some form of predator that he had to scare off or beat off. Zuko even had to give warnings to friends, i.e. Jet, who'd taken a liking to Katara.

Katara simply sighed. Unless she could prove it to him that she was more than capable of defending herself, he was never going to take her seriously or respect her as someone capable of defending herself. It was annoying, but at the same time it was better to have him behave so rather than her enemy.* Katara could even say she was touched by his concern, and felt that he probably would turn up anyway to pick her up if he started worrying enough, Katara relented to the pleading look Zuko kept shooting her. "I'll call my brother." Still, Katara's eyes rolled high into her skull at how simple the one statement was. Yet it was powerful enough to relax Zuko's shoulders enough to coax him into speeding a little less.

"'Preciate it," Zuko beamed.

When the back of the school pulled into Zuko's line of sight, his foot eased off of the accelerator and the car was moved to the next gear to keep within the speed limit. There were traffic cops all over the place, and Zuko couldn't fault them for being hard on the laws of the road and the kids who broke them. Zuko was a good driver, most other kids were not. Zuko wasn't the nicest driver however, and forced his way into the middle of the line to get into the student parking lot by the back gate. Parking came easy after that. No one would dare take his favorite spot, so Zuko was already killing the engine while the cars in front and behind him were still looking. Assigned parking would come soon, but till then the students who drove to school were shit out of luck if they didn't want to go to school early to get the better parking.

"Thanks for the ride Zuko," Katara waved while hopping over the back passenger door. The low heels of her Mary-Janes struck the concrete hard upon her landing, but Katara was already so used to hopping in and out of the car that the shock barely registered as it traveled up her legs. She pulled her backpack out of the car then just in time to avoid the roof of the car closing in on her. "See you," most likely tomorrow. Katara had a sinking suspicion that Zuko was going to skip most of his classes anyway. If he wasn't going to be there the whole day, then what was the point? Zuko was that kind of student, she could tell.

"If you can't get a ride from your brother, give me a call!" Zuko called after Katara, exiting his car with a grace that came with practice. His eyes followed Katara and waited for her to reply, even as Mai wrapped her arms around his own.

"Alright," Katara called back, picking up her pace into a fast jog. Pakku didn't like it when Katara was late for the mandatory drills. He preferred it if she was early, and would give her the stink eye even if she arrived on time. The locker rooms were a bit of a ways away from the back lot as well, so Katara had to hustle if she wanted to chat with Toph for a bit AND get to her designated bending area a few minutes early.

Rolling his eyes, Zuko locked the car and started after her at a more leisurely pace. Mai's long range martial arts club was nearby, so Zuko planned on risking tardiness in favor of escorting his girlfriend to class. Chances were that she was still pissed at him, so Zuko wanted to earn the extra points with her.

* * *

Toph and Katara stared in awe at what had become of their training grounds. Overnight, each section had been turned into a sparring arena special made for their bending elements. For Katara, a pool of water that felt to be chest deep took up the majority of the ground, encroaching in on the space designated for the earthbenders and the fence separating water from fire. At the very middle was a smooth platform for which two benders could stand on and move about easily. It wasn't necessarily a pro bending ring, but there were grates that crisscrossed the ground to allow water to circulate beneath them as well. Two paths bridged over the water on opposite sides of the ring, made of ice and snow so that it could be melted once the fighters were inside. For Toph, there was a ring of crystal with only small breaks in between to allow for outside viewing. The crystals were more opaque than translusent, so all one could see was the distorted image of students milling about a raised platform in the middle.

"I know why I was told to bring a bathing suit now…" Katara offered before offering a shrug towards Toph. Through their linked arms, Katara felt the action travel down to the blind bender. Momo chittered from around Toph's neck, displeased at being disturbed from his nap. Katara gave his head a pat before rolling her shoulders again to ease her nerves. Though confident in her skills, Katara had never had to use them in actual combat. What had happened Saturday couldn't even count as a warm up. In the thick of it all, Katara was useless. Now, she feared what would happen even though the setting was controlled. Would she choke like the last time?

"Now I know why my side was told to wear padding." Unlike Katara, there was no nervousness or anxiety coursing through her veins. All Toph could feel was excitement bubbling up in her heart. Even with the almost tragedy of the weekend, Toph was almost ashamed to admit that she was revved up and rearing to go for several more rounds against a bunch of thugs. She'd never felt so alive than when she was fighting for it. Nothing came close. To lose herself in her element and to actually do more than just throw someone around made Toph feel so much. She'd protected someone. Toph had spent all her life being told that she couldn't do anything because of her blindness, but that night Toph spat in the face of all her oppressors and said 'Yes, I can do this!' The earthbender could only pray that today would bring Toph closer to that feeling again. "See you after practice."

"Try not to destroy your training grounds again. It's actually pretty this time." Katara new her words were pointless. Toph was humming with excitement so to pin her down with limitations was going to be an impossible endeavor. In truth, Katara only spoke for the sake of parting conversation, offering Toph the chance at comical last wards as were her favorite.

"I'm not gonna make any promises." There they were.

Katara just laughed as she made her way to where the other waterbenders had clustered near the fence. She tried to school her expression to one of serene happiness. Katara didn't want the others to see that she was nervous. It was hard enough being the only first year waterbender in the school, but to be the one picked out by Pakku for additional teaching made the expectations for her behavior to be even steeper. She couldn't allow herself to be flustered or in any way off from the norm. Taking a deep breath, Katara lengthened her nervous strides to be long and sure while lifting her chin to meet the eyes of all who looked her way. Katara was sure and confident. As far as the others were concerned, there was nothing that would faze her. Now if only Katara could feel that way in her mind. The fence where the other girls were wasn't far enough it seemed.

Ty Lin was up against it, gripping one of her small hands through the fence while talking with a group of guys, or more likely flirting. Her gorgeous back tattoo was exposed by the day's tiny white sports bra, which was chorded in the back to leave nothing hidden on the artwork, and even smaller black shorts. Tui, La, and Yue were beautifully inked into her sunkissed skin. Yue's arms were held high over her head to hold up the moon, which had Tui and La swimming after each other's tails like yin and yang symbolized. Large wings framed the artist's interpretation of Yue, spreading wide to wrap over Ty Lin's shoulders to rest above her breasts. Bellow Yue's form and wafting from the hem of her dress, billowed mist and a silver pond. Through it, the shadows of the spirit world seemed to glow and dance with an otherworldly quality. There were times when people even said the tattoo moved. Every time Katara laid her eyes on it, her breath was taken away. One day soon, Katara would acquire a tattoo of such beauty, but till then, she could only look on in awe.

Noticing an additional pair of eyes on her, Ty Lin turned to greet Katara with a sunny smile and wave. Releasing the fence, Ty Lin turned fully and waved Katara over to join her and the boys she spoke to. She gave her short hair a little fluff, throwing another flirting gesture behind her while she waited for Katara to join in.

Even though she felt as if she couldn't compare to the showcase of beauty, regardless of how indecent, Katara felt comfortable enough with the sweet Ty Lin to accept the invitation. Since she had no piercings or tattoos to show off, Katara was only dressed in a tank top and her yoga pants. The strings of her bikini peaked from the hems, blue this time with a skull and crossbones motif. Her bare feet padded over the warm, damp ground, with some hesitance. Hostile eyes had landed on her, and Katara only needed one guess to surmise who those eyes belonged to.

A bit of a ways from her was Nya La, another of the waterbenders. Nya La was already limbering up, stretching her pale body out and going through a few of her bending stances in preparation for the upcoming events. The redhead shot Katara a frosty look, but her cyan blue eyes weren't frightening for Katara in the least. Even though Nya La was a second year student, she was a weak bender and wound up drenched in her element more often than bending with it. As it stood, she was already soaked. With her mascara running down her face and one of her two buns coming undone, Katara couldn't take the girl seriously. Still, as a respect to Nya La's disdain for her, Katara gave the girl wide birth as she walked. It was odd though. Kanna, the third year student and Pakku's aid, was nowhere to be found. Normally, she'd be helping Nya La go through her beginning stretches and offering pointers. But no deep mahogany stood in contrast to the pale colors and whites warn by the other waterbenders.

"Hey kitty," Called one of the guys as Katara approached, interrupting her search in favor of returning Katara's attention to those that waited for her. It was impossible to miss the boy who called her, being one of the only males on her side of the fence and the only one who ever called her 'kitty.' A tall youth stood near Ty Lin's side, towering high over the heads of her and a most of the other guys. His long blond hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, falling well passed his shoulders to brush against the bottoms of his shoulder blades. Narrow grey-blue eyes were alight with radiance and a teasing that could only be rivaled by one who was quite literally half his size and in the opposite direction. Grey sweatpants were rolled up to his knees to expose a pair of powerful calves and bare feet. His wide torso was clothed in a black wife beater that expressed his pride as an Earth Kingdom born student. He was an airbender however, so it often leads to people confusing him. Still, AJ was sweet and loved to call people nicknames.

"Hi AJ, What are you doing over here?" Katara inquired, not really joining the conversation that was going on between Ty Lin and the firebenders over the fence, even as the girl gave her a friendly shoulder bump. Just as easily, Katara returned the gesture even as her attention was solely on her second favorite airbender. AJ, or rather Aang Jong, always knew how to bring smiles to her face and make her laugh. They weren't as close as Katara would have liked, but as a third year student, AJ was busy with more extracurricular than she could count. Hanging out was rarely an option.

"Got bored and wanted to enjoy some eye candy. Zuko's gone shirtless and I couldn't deny myself." Canting his head towards Zuko's direction, AJ allowed his stormy eyes to drink in the sight for a moment longer. It was a well-known fact that AJ swung both ways, and as such crushed on both men and women with equal vigor. However, like the wind, AJ was fickle and found a new crush every other week or so. This month's flavor came in the form of Zuko.

"You know he has a girlfriend, right?" Katara inquired, unfazed by AJ's blatant lust for the third year firebender. She couldn't fault him for finding Zuko attractive, especially when he decided that clothes were optional. Watching him glisten while bending fire and going through his forms even got her a little buttery. Katara would never admit to such a thing since she hated Zuko most days and tolerated him others. He was as annoying and only sometimes did his saving graces peer through. Rarely did they show for her. Usually, niceness only came in the car due to their truce. All other times were teasing and belittling comments with unadmitted concerns. Zuko was helpful to her, and looked out for her, but the enigma surrounding him kept her from liking him fully. Consciously, anyway. That was her story, and she was sticking to it while in the public eye. Katara had an image to uphold as a brat in his eyes.

AJ scoffed at Katara before looking at her almost suspiciously. "For now maybe, but I've heard a bit of juicy gossip that may prove you wrong soon. So, what's it like?" As always, AJ's eyes gained a certain ageless gleam that made it seem as if he knew more than he was letting on. The depth of what he knew could astound even the school's most famous and reliable gossip, Ty Lu.

"What's what like?" Katara asked, her eyes glued to Zuko's form. He was talking to a group of guys who were just as powerfully built as Zuko. They were off to the side, talking about something or other. Strangely though, Zuko didn't look pleased in the least. His eyes were glowing with rage and Katara knew the rigid posture of his back enough to know he wanted to hit something. Without his punching bag in his garage, Zuko was smoldering in place with his lips pursed into a thin line. Alarms started to sound in Katara's head as Zuko began to look more and more like he did that Saturday night when that girl was attacked. In that moment, Katara forgot to be admiring Zuko's form and contemplated calling him over to ask what was wrong.

"Sleeping in Zuko's bed. Is he a cuddly sleeper? Or does he kick?"

"What?! What do you mean? I didn't….oh." Katara snapped her eyes away from Zuko long enough to look at AJ as if he were insane in some way. Where would he get the idea to even ask such a question? As if Katara would know? When memories from that morning returned, Katara blushed and resumed watching Zuko with the rosy color still painting her cheeks. "It's not like that. There was a raid where I live, and I couldn't get home. Zuko let me stay at his place. Nothing happened. He slept on the couch."

"That's it? Lame!" AJ crowed. He threw his body into the expression, speaking with his entire being as compared to just with his words. His large hand gripped the iron fence that separated him from most of the other students. With his arm as the tether, AJ swung until his body crashed against both Katara's and Ty Lin's to push them against the fence. He was careful to keep his full weight in check, but wanted to give both girls a little playful shove even though it was just Katara he was speaking to. The sound of both girls giggling made AJ's smile grow all the wider, and he dropped both arms over their shoulders to keep them trapped between himself and the fence.

"Sorry to disappoint," Katara chuckled. "We're not into each other, so no juicy gossip to share." Even though AJ was bi, Katara didn't feel uncomfortable to have his body flush against hers. Her mind didn't process him as into women, or rather, as into her. It was all play and jokes without the slightest threat. It was comforting to have this sort of friendship with a guy; no ulterior motives.

"Liar," pouted the blonde while resting his head on Katara's chin. Though the both of them said they disliked each other, AJ saw otherwise. There was an attraction there, but it was too soon for them to go beyond that. It did make for racy conversation though when he was alone with Ty Lin and Ty Lu. Topic ended, AJ decided to resume his lusty daydreams of the ever sexy firebender that he knew as friend, among other things.

Zuko looked over to the fence that separated the firebenders from the other elements. At first it was a sightless gesture. Zuko had turned away from one of the other boys to keep himself from saying something. But then amber locked with cerulean. Zuko gazed at Katara through the fence, still trapped within his fury. His shoulders relaxed, but the anger still remained. Katara didn't understand the look Zuko was giving her. She knew he wasn't mad at her. To the contrary, Zuko looked worried. It was as if he feared something was going to happen to her, which made Katara worry even more. One of Zuko's arms rose up, making Katara perk up with attention. He was making that weird hand signal again, like at the pool party. His eyes jumped from hers to AJ, sharing some kind of secret message that only the blond airbender understood. Katara then watched Zuko and the cluster of students he was speaking to slink into the shadows.

"Let me know if mini me wins," AJ requested of Katara in reference to Aang, who AJ shared a name with. He then vaulted himself over the high fence as effortlessly as one of the Ty sisters. Without breaking a sweat, AJ bent a ball of air under his feet, allowing him to skate over the ground as if he were on a board. Without hitting anyone, AJ maneuvered his way through the milling students until he reached Zuko's side. As if by peeling a mask, his expression went from carefree to emotionless in the span of half a second. The transformation was jarring to the senses in its suddenness, forcing Katara to blink several times to process the change.

She continued to watch with an air of trepidation. Where was AJ going? Why? She watched as Zuko and AJ clasped arms before they also vanished into the shadows. Curiosity got the best of her, and Katara made a move to leave the safety of her designated area to follow after them. First Zuko, now AJ. Katara didn't understand it, but something as seriously wrong and she needed to find out or else go crazy with not knowing. A stream of water stopped her, prompting Katara to jump back and take control of the attacking element. Katara froze the water into a ball before bending it back into the pool where it could thaw.

"Impressive. You're reflexes have gotten better." Pakku's perpetually sarcastic voice complimented. "Front and center ladies. Today's going to be an interesting day, and I want all the possible time to make sure that you don't break a nail."

Ty Lin blew the boys she was talking to a kiss before gripping Nya La's arm. She lead the way to where early drills were going to be done, giving Katara's rear a pat to get her moving in the right direction. "Sparring day" she declared as she went. As a second year, she knew that today was going to be an interesting one, and one could not afford to be distracted. Since there were so few waterbenders in the school, this went doubly so since there would be more than just one match to take up the full time given.

Katara simply followed numbly, checking back a few times in search of AJ and Zuko. Where did they go? She didn't want to think that they were skipping, but it seemed that they weren't going to be back in time for the start of the sparring matches. When their familiar faces weren't forthcoming, Katara's heart dropped to her stomach and worry doubled in her mind. It wasn't like she could text either of them. Her phone was secured away in her locker, safe from wayward elements. Even if the contraption said that it was bender proof, it wasn't Pakku proof. Katara wouldn't dare risk slipping away for the sake of texting Zuko or AJ a simple 'where r u?' Her phone would be confiscated or destroyed on the spot. Then, to further spite her, the boys she worried for would be punished as well since she would have alerted the professors to the fact that they weren't just absent. Katara would have to wait. As a water elemental, Katara wasn't patient. She was relentless.* She may not be able to escape now, but Katara was going to find out what made Zuko so upset and pulled AJ away.

"Where's Kanna?" Pakku asked just as Katara found her spot.

"She's not here today." Nya La's answer came as a hesitant whisper. Her eyes were downcast and her pale skin went green. She was absolutely terrified of Pakku, and though she tried to grow a backbone, it showed in how she addressed him. Even when her attitude flared, it came with dry heaves and the threat of throwing up. He was always hard on her, barking at her to be more like Katara, who had reached the second year curriculum within the first week of school. This was what had her eyes lowered, even in the face of what should have been an innocent question.

Pakku only looked at Nya La, allowing himself to feel great worry before boxing his emotions away. She was probably sick, nothing more. "Alright. Since there are only three of you, we'll do a three way sparring match. Start your warm ups while I go get your flags." Code for 'I'm going to go ask one of the professors something.' He left his three students to go speak with Sifu Tenzin, noticing that one of his female students had also gone missing.

Katara knew that Pakku was worried about his missing student. There were only four waterbenders in total at the school. Even though he didn't show it, Pakku knew them as more than just a face and a name. Katara, Nya La, Ty Lin, and Kanna were his pupils and he took great care in pushing their best out. Watching him now, scrambling to the other teachers in search of answers, made it all the more real that Pakku genuinely cared. Absent students always sent Pakku into a tailspin, and he was always extra mean afterwards when the student showed up because they genuinely had him worried. Pakku hated to worry. Now, he was scared, and Katara understood why. After the previous weekend, Katara couldn't just delude herself into thinking that students were just skipping or home sick.

Dread only grew in her heart as both Pakku and Tenzin went over to Bumi. They were probably doing a head count. There were a lot of students missing it seemed, and Katara felt a shortness of breath grip her lungs. "Ty Lin…."

"I know. I don't know." Ty Lin knew what Katara was silently asking, but she didn't know the answer. Slowly, the three girls huddled together, as realization started to click in. It wasn't cold or flu season. What's more, benders didn't usually get sick. So far, five students were missing on their side alone, that much Katara could determine through a headcount of her own. Ty Lin's hand gripped Katara's, while her other arm wrapped tightly around Nya La, who was starting to fidget in place. She knew everything about everyone due to her sister, Ty Lu, being a nosy gossip. Very rarely did Ty Lin not know what was going on or with whom.

Again, Katara turned to look for Zuko's face amongst the crowd. When she found him, her heart skipped a beat. Though he was still a beacon of controlled fury, his image was as comforting as it was commanding. His long legs ate away the distance between himself and the fence that separated him from Katara's side. Behind him, the two firebending teachers looked down at their feet with morose expressions. Zuko didn't bother walking around to the fence's gate; instead, he simply climbed over it.

Hesitantly, Katara pried her arm loose from Ty Lin's death grip. Leaving the other girls to comfort each other, Katara ran over to Zuko in search of answers. She stopped just as she was about to crash into him, bumping into his arm and catching it in her own to still his walking. "Zuko, what's going on? Where'd AJ go?"

Zuko didn't answer right away. He just stared ahead with inhuman focus. His posture remained rigid, and his hands were curled tightly into fists. Though it pained him, Zuko looked down to peer into Katara's deep and innocent eyes. She knew nothing of the world she'd come to live in. Yet, there she was, becoming encased with the fear that polluted all the others. He didn't have the heart to tell her. Not yet. "I'll pick you up after your training. If I'm late, I'll come get you from the library. Please, don't go anywhere else."

For once, Katara dared not argue. When Zuko freed himself from her, all she could do was watch with a sinking heart as Zuko informed the professors of tragedy. Katara could only assume the worst as she watched their faces deform into expressions of pure grief. More words were spoken, but Katara couldn't hear well enough to know what was going on. She could only watch as stony masks settled into place. Information was not going to be shared, that much was clear. Still, Katara could figure enough out to know that at least one of the students had fallen prey to the crimes of the city. Katara backed away slowly, returning to the other two girls with tight lipped resolve. Those lips then turned up into a gentle smile, one that was as much a lie as it was a comforting grace. If the professors were not going to speak of it, than neither would she. Better to wait and know for sure, than jump the gun and create even more grief than necessary.

"Why don't we start our warm ups?" Katara offered, trying to ease the girls into a different state of mind so they could get through the day. Answers were bound to come later, so now was the time to focus on what needed to be done. "We'll know what's going on later, so we should get ready for our sparring match."

"Good idea. We can't jump to conclusions after all. Let's get started so we don't have to think on it." Ty Lin added. It was more for Nya La's sake, who was such a delicate heart. Any distraction would be a good one.

Katara was first to start, working her way through her stretches as best as she could while still watching Zuko talk with the professors. Not many more words were said, but Zuko lingered as if for 'just in case' purposes. She could only imagine what it was that gave Zuko the information needed for him to report the loss of one or more of the students. She'd been with him the entire night Sunday, and for most of the night at the party the night before. Could he have snuck out while she slept? Or did he get this information Saturday? Why was Zuko the one burdened with sharing the ill tidings? Katara didn't understand any of it, but all the information was filed away while the possibility of a dead student was purposely blocked from Katara's consciousness. If it was Kanna, who had always been more than kind to anyone, Katara would simply break. Kanna couldn't be….

_Don't think about it! _Katara told herself harshly as she bent herself in half. Her legs remained straight as her hands gripped tight at her ankles. Her braid fell over her head to coil over the ground, offering some form of visual aid to Katara's endeavor. It may be wrong, but Katara needed to think that the student lost was someone she didn't know. Otherwise she'd be nothing more than a mess on the floor, crying because somehow she'd find a way to take responsibility. Katara knew herself well enough to know that she'd find a way to take blame. If Katara had gone to Kanna's to practice her bending when she was invited that weekend, then maybe Katara could have done something. Or if she'd simply talked to her more, Katara would know what Kanna got round to doing. If something sounded wrong, Katara could have talked her out of it. _Stop! _Katara snapped her body upwards before bending back in a back bend. Valiantly, she struggled to silence her own mind. Katara needed to lose herself to something, anything, so her mind would simply stop.

"I've never seen waterbending require so much….bending." Like a beam of light in the night, Zuko's voice cut through the darkness of Katara's thoughts to bring her back to the present.

"You've obviously never seen me waterbend before," Katara shot back while still bent backwards in an arch. Her strong legs then kicked over to flip Katara back onto her feet gracefully. Since she knew Zuko was behind her, Katara was ready for the soft collision against his chest once her body righted itself. Heat flared around her, calming Katara physically, if only a little. That calm only lasted a short while, but it was enough for Katara to breathe passed the lump in her chest.

"I'll have to fix that. Pakku has to go run an errand. Until he gets back I'll be acting as your referee." Zuko's expression was forced, mirroring a pleasantness that didn't reach his eyes. Behind him, the masters of each bending training ground left their students in the hands of a fourth year to monitor. Darkness loomed over all their heads in a low hanging cloud of misery.

Katara tried to maintain her mask; to keep her resolve from crumbling. Her eyes looked over to her waterbending teacher, filling with tears, but then she'd bring them right back to Zuko. His eyes were dry, but his soul was crying. That hurt just as much as the knowledge that someone she knew was lost. It confused her, but Katara found a level of comfort in this version of Zuko. In his bleeding heart, and raw determination to maintain what was normal, Katara fought to keep trying. It was hard, but the sarcastic lilt came with a smile. "Last I checked, you were a third year firebender. What gives you the jurisdiction to play sifu, even for a few minutes?"

Regardless of how grateful to Katara he was, Zuko felt a gnawing guilt chew at his chest for putting her in a position to act. She shouldn't have to. Yet there she was, playing the role of dutiful student so that the day would go on. The tragedy would be announced soon after the morning's training. Till then, there was no place for hysterics. "One of the firebending masters of the school is my uncle and I've already surpassed the fourth year curriculum and gotten a license to train. By all rights, I'm able to act in this function. Hell, I could teach if I so wanted.*" Zuko gave Katara an actual smile, seeing a side to Katara that he wasn't fully aware of. She was able to do what most her age could not; put the needs of others before her own. Katara could break down and cry over lives that may or may not be lost, but if she did then so would the others. Instead of just giving in to grief and sorrow, Katara was forcing herself to be the blinding light that kept others from seeing what was truly going on. It wasn't fair to her, but to see her act in such a capacity without even being told made Zuko respect her all the more.

"So, should I call you Sifu Zuko then?" The name and tittle struck a chord within Katara, bringing back memories of hearing it. The voice was young, and not her own, but it was still somehow familiar even through the fog. It felt strange to put Zuko so high above her with the rank of Sifu. It should be that child's voice saying it, not her. Just saying it made her bristle with the need to surpass him. Zuko was not above her, playfulness be damned.

_So the little first year doesn't like giving others authority over her. Cute. _"Nah, master's just fine." As if Katara could ever dominate him. A chill ran down his spine at the thought, ringing true and familiar in all ways it shouldn't. Being master over her, even in the innuendo tasted wrong on his tongue. It didn't fit. Katara was too fiery and passionate in nature. The role of docile student or sub was an ill fit for her.

"Oooh, kinky," Ty Lin interrupted, finishing her own stretches. The kind of innuendo became a full one, bringing a lecherous grin to both Zuko's face and her own. It may sound wrong to put Katara in that position mentally, but the image in her head was still a fun one. Surely Zuko saw that even if the statement was overly sexual in nature. It was only kind of.

"Aren't I always, Lin?" Zuko laughed, enjoying Katara's crimson face and floundering lips. Just as quickly as Zuko saw her as more than just a child, Katara went and did something that would further categorize her as such. Her innocence was showing. The only word that described her was innocent. Zuko didn't mind. It only made things more fun and minimized the confusing feelings of nostalgia. "Line up."

Katara knew Zuko was simply playing a role for the sake of normalcy, but sex was a topic Katara rarely expected. She genuinely did not need to hear that. What's more, she didn't need to hear that between Zuko and Ty Lin of all people. Talking about how kinky Zuko was or wasn't, was simply….It was just wrong; plain and simple. As if physically repulsed by the thought, Katara made retching motions while moving to stand next to Ty Lin. Her hand clasped over her stomach and convincing dry heaves had her stomach convulsing.

Zuko simply watched Katara with an air of annoyance. Was the thought of him and sex so repulsive that she had to act like a child? _Whatever._ Once in a line, Zuko handed out belts with three flags velcroed to each. Each belt had its own color flag, red for Katara, yellow for Nya La, and blue for Ty Lin. The point of the sparring match was to utilize their bending to knock the others down and steal their flags. Once all were lost, the opponent lost. The rules were simple in the strange cross of capture the flag and king of the mountain. With only three challengers, it made sense. The more flags you got, the longer you could stay in, but it also made you a bigger target. There were rules involved however, given the fact that it was school sanctioned combat. Ice could only be used defensively, and steam hot enough to burn was completely prohibited. Ring outs didn't count in the current situation, but if one of the opponents was held under, that was instant disqualification as well as the risk of a demerit. If blood was drawn, regardless of flags, the challenger was taken out as well. In bending battles, one always had to be careful given the fact that the school was held liable.

"So Zuko, are you simply going to referee?" Nya La asked, her voice coming clear now that Pakku had left the vicinity. Her stutter was still heavy in her voice, but she finally dared to speak louder than a whisper. She shot Katara a dirty look while she did so, not caring if anyone present saw her. Soft spoken and mild mannered as she was, there was a jealous hatred that beat within her heart. Again, Katara was getting all the attention because she was "perfect." Zuko was gorgeous, older, and had every girl from first year to fourth all atwitter. Yet he only seemed to have eyes for Katara. Nya La knew she didn't stand a chance, but to see Katara, a first year, get so much attention pissed her off.

"I'm also here to interfere should one of you get too carried away," as if that would happen. Zuko's doubts were evident on his face. Two second years and a first year could get carried away all they wanted, but unless a fire or earth elemental, there wasn't that much of a threat until the more complicated techniques were learned. Not usually. Zuko would still be on watch. He'd never watched Nya La or Katara while bending since he was usually too occupied in his own work, but he knew Ty Lin. She was sweet as can be, but when she fought it was like watching a serpent. Ty Lin could do serious damage in the exceedingly slim chance that she did lose control. Then there was that chi blocking technique that needed looking out for. All the Ty sisters knew it, and when coupled with bending it was a dangerous combination. Ty Lin wouldn't lose control though. Unless challenged, the chances were less than zero.

"Why not just spar with us yourself if you're going to get involved?" Katara asked as she pulled her tank top up over her head to drop it by a stack of towels that had been brought over. The stylized Jolly Rogers embellished on each of the triangles of her bikini wore a bright yellow straw hat and a wide grin. She reached behind her then to make sure the double knots that secured her bathing suit were still tight. The last thing she needed was for Zuko of all people to see her half naked. Katara wasn't prudish enough to care if other girls did, or even some boys, but Zuko was an entirely different story.

Zuko watched her for a moment, becoming distracted by Katara's anime fan girl attire. "Mixed bending sparring matches are only allowed with the supervision of two or more masters and between students of the same year." Zuko knew the comment was made sarcastically, but found himself reciting the rule anyway. If anything, it was a reminder to himself to not get involved unless absolutely necessary. "Alright ladies, head over to the ring and on my mark, you can begin your sparring match." Zuko gestured with his arm towards the pool before sauntering over as if he owned the place. Once finished, he could go back to his side of the fence and lose himself to his own sparring match. Till then, he was going to suffer the consequences of being the bearer of bad news. Such news returned Zuko's thoughts to a dark place within his own mind, returning the scowl to his face and the furrow to his brow. It took great effort on his part to put the mask of playful indifference back onto his face.

Katara noted the rigidness of Zuko's back returning, but could do nothing to bring him back to the present. There was no snide or sarcastic comment to be made. Instead, she and the others followed after him. The anticipation of Ty Lin and Nya La was palpable, and soaked into her own skin. Ty Lin broke from the group to be the first to reach the ring, skating over the ice even though her feet were clad in designer water shoes. They were made for waterbenders, and as such didn't warp or ruin when introduced to the many forms of water. Ty Lin's shoes were currently encased in ice that formed deadly blades beneath her feet. Easily, Ty Lin glided over the ice without losing her pace. Just as easily, she stepped off the ice without faltering. The ice melted completely, allowing her to sashay over the sculpted stone platform.

Katara and Nya La weren't as flashy, simply walking over the ice bridge. Discreetly, Katara curled her toes to bend the ice beneath her feet. Warm water splashed up to soak through her white pant legs. She could still feel the ice against her bare skin, but Katara was able to ignore it do in equal parts to her thawing a thin layer of ice into warm water and her hailing from a small town near the Southern Water Tribes. Katara was used to the frigid cold.

Nya La took advantage of the watery footprints Katara left behind and rolled her wrists. Each puddle became rough patches of ice, allowing for additional traction for her water shoes. Her eyes were focused downwards onto her feet with her hands crammed into the pockets of her capris. A wide yawn pulled one of her pockets. Nya La clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle it, darting her blue-green eyes over to Zuko to see if he saw her. His eyes were currently elsewhere, so she relaxed to know her actions went unnoticed.

Zuko was more interested in the fact that Katara was going barefoot. He was completely fascinated by how she paid no mind to the possibility of frost bite or some other malady that could befall her feet. Did she not like shoes? They were optional for the purpose of bending, but that didn't always mean it was a good idea to go without. Zuko bit his tongue to keep from asking, not wanting to sound too interested in the things that Katara did. He needed a distraction, yes, but not that kind.

"So, last one standing with all the flags wins?" Ty Lin asked in search of clarification. She knew that Zuko was distracted by Katara's lack of shoes, everyone was at some point, but he really needed to focus on other things. I.e. Zuko needed to be focusing on how pretty she was. Showing off served no purpose if not everyone was there to look impressed. Katara and Nya La had already seen Ty Lin's shtick, even though it was never in a combative setting. Zuko hadn't seen it in a while, so he hadn't seen how she'd improved. Ty Lin wanted the match started already so she could show off some more.

Katara knew that Ty Lin was waiting for her chance to shine, as was the brunette's way, but Katara also knew that one could never be too prepared. "Are there any other rules or things to know that we don't know already?" While waiting for an answer, Katara dipped into more leg and arm stretches to be completely sure she'd limbered up enough.

"Winner gets free lunch," Zuko replied, rolling his eyes from the edge of the ring. _Girls._ "Begin!"

Nya La was the first to act, calling an incomplete water whip from the pool and striking at Katara's form. Absolute hate filled her eyes even as her body lacked the conviction to go through with trying to act on it. The water she bent was sloppy and lacking solid form; a mirror image of Nya La's lack of confidence. Still, she tried valiantly to free herself of her jealousy and hate by finally delivering what was due to Master Pakku's Golden Child. Ever since she came to the school, all that's come from Pakku's mouth was Katara this, and Katara that. So what if she was a bender from a frigid wasteland. Nya La could be just as good if her sifu would give her the time of day. It was all Katara's fault that she couldn't even perform a proper water whip. Eyes seeing red and growling her anger at both Katara and herself, the whip started to fall apart as it sickled towards Katara's middle.

One of Katara's legs shot upwards in a high kick, bringing up a wall of water from the stone grate and solidifying it into half of an icy bubble. The momentum of the move had Katara back flipping to the edge of the ring. She bent her knees to drop into a crouch, catching the splash of the water whip and melting the icy shield. With wide sweeping movements, Katara's arms swept around her body. Water spiraled around Katara's form before catching her arms. Two watery tentacles extended beyond her limbs to reach out for Nya La. The attack wasn't meant to harm, only subdue and possibly grab one of the flags that hung by Nya La's waist.

Ice got in Katara's way. Ty Lin created a frozen wall in a similar fashion to Katara, using it to protect Nya La lone enough for her to skate passed over a path of ice. In one slick movement, Ty Lin snatched a colored flag from the redhead's belt before toeing the ice with her 'skates.' The ice wall dropped with a splash, creating a wave of frigid waters. When Ty Lin landed, ice radiated from where her feet touched ground. Water became ice in the blink of an eye, settling in a thin sheet over the stone ground and stopping short of the edge where Zuko stood.

Katara jumped back over the edge of the ring, calling a geyser of water to hold her up. Nya La wasn't as fast. The bottoms of her shoes became frozen to the newly formed ice rink. She let out a cry of frustration, trying in vain to pull her shoes free. Ty Lin was almost upon her, skating with the grace and speed of a professional. Peels of delighted laughter grew louder as she drew nearer. Ty Lin was enjoying herself, so couldn't see the red in Nya La' eyes or the glassy gleam of frustrated tears. Had she seen them, Ty Lin would have released Nya La instantly.

Weak. All she was, was weak. Nya La couldn't do anything right and all she could feel was fury within her own rapidly beating heart. "No fair!" Nya La cried out angrily, her stutter cracking and her body growing hot with shame. Ty Lin was supposed to be on her side, not picking on her because she was weak. It wasn't her fault she was a weak bender, and it wasn't fair that Nya La had to face both the golden child and Ty Lin. It wasn't fair at all. All she could feel was absolute hatred for the situation and those responsible. Nya La's hands gripped her ankles and tried to pull her feet free, but the ice had crept passed her shoes to numb the flesh of her ankles. It was all to no avail.

Katara couldn't help herself from feeling bad since she was close enough to feel Nya La's frustration. Even then, Katara couldn't turn her back on someone who needed help, even if that person was supposed to be her opponent. She had the water under her control throw her over to Nya La's side. Katara needed to act on the feeling of mercy that bloomed within her. Quick as a flash, Katara bent the ice into warmer water so Nya La could pull her feet free. It was elementary, but Katara said nothing. Nya La was flustered and lacked confidence in her own abilities. When one bent, their inner selves were reflected in the element they controlled. Without that assuredness, one couldn't do anything right. Katara understood that, and as such said nothing to antagonize the frustrated Nya La any further. If only her kindness and understanding could be returned in kind. As a thank you, Katara was shoved back onto the frozen ground and had one of her flags stolen.

"I don't need or want your pity," Nya La hissed, fighting through a stutter. The heat inside her only grew with her shame. Nya La wouldn't suffer Katara's aid, no matter what. It was a slap in her face and a vicious reminder that Nya La would never catch up. Backing away slowly, Nya La stared down at her hands which felt so hot. Her nerves were on fire, but it felt so good to just give in to her emotions and give Katara that shove. More than good, Nya La felt better for it. It was so strange, but for the first time in Nya La's life, she felt in control of her anger and hate. She'd never acted on it before. She could hear the voices of the others around her, but Nya La couldn't hear them. She could only just stare at her hands with a twisted smile. The pain could be ignored if it meant she could stay feeling this good.

Zuko had to physically hold himself back to keep from acting out in Katara's defense. This was her match, and he would not shame the sparring ground by acting out without any real reason. Still, to actually push Katara in a bending only match was shameful and foul. "Use only your bending, Nya La!" Zuko commanded from the sidelines once he could control the growl in his voice. "Katara, you okay?"

Katara rolled her body away from Nya La and even further from Ty Lin, who was about to ask the same thing. "I'm fine." Katara knew Nya La didn't like her, so it shouldn't have been such a surprise. Still, Katara didn't know what it was that had upset the girl. Food for later thought. Katara now knew that dislike was going to prevail even in the act of kindness. It would be a lesson well learned. Now, Katara was in the bottom rank with two flags. Kid gloves had to come off. Katara took a more offensive stance, holding her arms in front of her at the ready. The ice chilled Katara's feet, but she ignored what would be a temporary discomfort for the sake of focusing on the task at hand. The stance was more formal, relying heavily on what she'd learned while at home in the far south. Ice was her friend. Even though she couldn't use it offensively, that didn't mean she was without the full use of her tools. Katara took the initiative for this go around. She bent frozen pillars to shoot up from beneath the ring so she could catch both Ty Lin and Nya La around the waist. The ice around Katara then melted, allowing Katara to slide over the ice as if on a board.

Nya La wasn't having it, kicking and spitting like a rabid caged animal in her attempt to bend herself free. The ice rippled against Nya La's force of will, but nothing came of it in time to avoid Katara snatching back the stolen flag. Still, even after Katara had passed she tried. She was so hot, and the ice was like needles against her skin. It hurt. Nya La could feel pain all over where the ice touched and it was too much. "It hurts" she whimpered as she struggled violently against the ice. More ripples shook down the column of ice to create fractures along the once smooth surface. Eventually the smooth glassy surface became hard and jagged before sharp points took control of the structure. The pain was unbearable. The heat was scorching. All Nya La wanted was to feel good again. If only she could hurt Katara again.

A giddy smile split Nya La's pale face, one that was as vicious as it was happy. The expression didn't suit the soft spoken girl, but as the ice became increasingly deadly, so did the expression on her face. Suddenly, something clicked into place. All Nya La needed was to hurt Katara again. To do that, Nya La simply needed to flick her wrist. The ice that held Nya La captive exploded outwards in shards and blades.

"Look out!"

"What are you doing?!"

Voices blurred together and it all happened so fast. One second, Katara was taking a flag from Ty Lin, the next Katara found herself staring wide eyed at a frozen spear sailing true in her direction. She didn't understand it. She didn't even have time to think on it. Katara simply took hold of the ice that imprisoned Ty Lin and brought it forward to from a shield. Through it, the harsh red light and the heat of flames formed a wide wall between the deadly projectiles and the other students. Ice melted instantly from both the ground and the air, creating a cloud of steam to further distort the image of what lay beyond the frozen wall. Katara didn't even need to see Zuko's face to know that the fury had returned to the forefront of his mind. She could see it in Zuko's silhouette.

"Are you trying to kill somebody?!" Zuko barked angrily, killing his fire wall and inching closer to where Katara and Ty Lin were shielded.

"Not somebody," Nya La answered. Her voice was sure and confident, lacking the usual stutter that was always associated with her name. Instead, there was a stranger looking back at Zuko from within Nya La's skin. "I want to hurt her so I can feel better."

"By trying to kill her?!" Zuko didn't even know which of the two girls Nya La was referring too. It didn't matter.

There was something in the girl's eyes that didn't quite understand. It was as if her mind didn't process exactly what it was that Zuko was saying. She only understood that by hurting the other girls, her own euphoria would be assured. To her, that was all that mattered. Nothing else processed.

Ty Lin gripped Katara's arm and tried to pull her back, knowing that something was more than just wrong. It was bizarre. Even if Nya La did have the personality to act out on her hatred, she didn't have the skill. Nya La was a weak bender, so much so that it was almost laughable. Nya La didn't have it in her. What was going on? Why was she suddenly like this.

Zuko's eyes narrow into slits and a low growl reverberate through his chest. One good look at her and he already knew the reason as to why such a meek and simpering girl would become so violent so quickly with only the slightest provocation. "Red Siren. She's on Red Siren."

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*1 – This is a reference to season 1. Zuko had no respect for Katara until she was able to fight against him on her own two feet. The same will be mirrored here, only instead of enemies, Zuko is more of a not really jerk who thinks of Katara as a weak little girl…in the least chauvinistic way pausible.

*2 – Water isn't patient. It wants to go through somewhere, it will continuously beat against it until it gets its way or finds another way around. Whoever said water waits obviously didn't look beyond the surface. The Grand Canyon wasn't built by patience. It was built by raw determination.

*3 – if any of this is confusing, let me know. I have charts and rules already written out in this regard so it all makes sense to me. If it doesn't to you, let me know and I'll explain it in an author's note or something

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you liked the chapter, working on the other fics as we speak. Now to get back to work because I have an art series that I've been inspired to do too. I have so much time on my hands right now, I need to keep busy! Woohoo! Love ya!


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